Wings of Time
by Seriously Sam
Summary: Chapter 18! They were just a boy and a girl who fell in love, but war drove them apart. Ginny Weasley soon realized that the world's a lot darker when alone. In the end, the most heroic responses occur when the most evil deeds are set into place. HBP
1. The Wedding

Title – Wings of Time

Summary – They were just a boy and a girl who fell in love, but war drove them apart. Now, Ginny Weasley does nothing but worry about her love, Harry Potter.

Rating – PG-13

Disclaimer – The characters are sadly not mine.

Half-Blood Prince SPOILERS 

Sadness flies away on the wings of time. – Jean de La Fontaine

The Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole looked magnificent. The grass was freshly cut, and the flowers were in full bloom. In the middle of the yard was an archway with luscious green vines curling up it with pink flowers in full bloom. White wooden chairs were situated around the archway with a stone aisle going up through the middle. The house was filled with scents of newly baked sweets and cuisine.

Outside of her window, Ginny watched Fred, George, Ron, and Harry finish de-gnoming the garden. Bill and Charlie were chatting by the archway. Several people sat in the chairs. Ginny turned her gaze away from the window to look down at her mother who was undoing the hem at the bottom of the gorgeous pale gold dress robes. Next to her was Gabrielle Delacour. She was posing in front of the mirror as though she were a model.

"Ginny, hold still," Mrs. Weasley spoke with a needle in her mouth.

"S'not my fault that I grew after the robes were purchased," Ginny replied scornfully as she tugged on a lock of curly auburn hair that had fallen out of it's bun.

Ginny's brown eyes wandered towards the window again. There stood Harry with a smile planted on his slender, pale face. His hands were on his hips. He looked gorgeous in his emerald dress robes. His round, thick black-framed glasses were slipping down his nose so Harry unconsciously pushed them back up.

"Ginny!"

"What?" the younger asked as the redhead looked down at her mother.

"I asked you to turn at least five times!" Mrs. Weasley exasperated.

With an enormous sigh, Ginny turned her back to the window. There was nothing to look at now expect Fleur and Fleur's mother, Sophie, playing around with the bride's flowing golden hair. Gabrielle had abandoned her post in front of the mirror and went over to her mother and sister. _Stupid Veela beauty_, Ginny thought bitterly.

"There," Mrs. Weasley stood up and grinned at her daughter with tears shining in her eyes, "you look dazzling."

"Can I go outside now?"

"Don't you ruin that dress!"

Ginny ran out of her bedroom and practically flew down the stairs. She busted through backdoor and into the excitement of the wedding. She sauntered over towards her brother, Hermione, and Harry. They were standing in a small circle chatting with serious looks on their faces. She crept up behind Harry and threw an arm around his shoulders.

The bespectacled boy jumped slightly at the physical touch. The trio quickly stopped talking as soon as they were aware of Ginny's presence. Harry seemed particularly at a loss as to why Ginny had come over to talk to them. It seemed as though that just because the two weren't dating anymore that they simply couldn't be around each other.

"What are you three doing?" asked Ginny.

"Talking about things that don't involve you," Ron snapped.

"Harry, can we talk?"

Harry nodded his head almost reluctantly. The redheaded teenager grasped the boy's hand into her own and pulled him away from his best friends. Ginny could feel his fingers twitch under her grasp, but she wouldn't let go. They both needed to get pass the fact that they still loved each other despite the fact that they were not dating any longer.

The two snuck around to the front of the house. Ginny led the boy of her dreams to the front porch. She whipped around, her red hair bouncing in her loose bun. Her eyes gleamed impishly as she leaned forward and locked her lips onto his. Harry's free hand found its way to the back of Ginny's head so that he could pull her towards him to deepen the kiss. She arched her back slightly and stood up on her tip toes –

"We can't," Harry murmured against her pale pink lips.

"No one has to know," a gasped reply came.

"_He_ will know," Harry declared as he pulled back completely.

It took Ginny several seconds to register what he was saying. _You-Know-Who_. It was _his_ fault that Ginny and Harry couldn't be together and be happy. _He_ was the one hunting Harry and everyone who means something to him. Ginny never hated anyone as much as she hated _You-Know-Who_.

"Please, Harry, don't ignore this," Ginny pleaded. "Don't ignore us and what we have."

"There are things I need to do-"

"And I don't expect any less from you," the redhead finished. "I just want to know when this is all over… if… if we have a chance."

A pragmatic pause followed. Emerald eyes gleamed with tears. Harry's body language suddenly became one of defeat. Shoulders slumped forward with a frown etched over his face, Harry opened his mouth to speak but found that the words wouldn't come out. The raven-haired teenager closed his mouth and searched Ginny's deep brown eyes. It was as if he were looking for answers in which only her eyes held the answers.

"I can't lie to you, Ginny," Harry's voice broke with every word, "I don't think I'm going to survive."

"NO!" Ginny cried. "Don't say that!"

"You have no idea what I have to do-"

"Let me help you-"

"NO!" Harry shouted. "I wouldn't be able to live if you died!"

Ginny faltered. Her pale hand – which was adorned with freckles of every shape and size – rose to her face to wipe a stray tear that had leaked from her eye. It was too much. It was all too much. Life would be so much simpler if _You-Know-Who_ never existed. They could be going back to Hogwarts completely happy.

"The wedding's going to start soon," Harry whispered. "We'll talk more later."

Harry Potter turned and walked down the stairs of the porch. He turned and walked towards the backyard with his hands stuffed into his robe pockets. Ginny stood on the porch alone with a thousand thoughts filling her head. She hoped that they would all make it through the next year at Hogwarts. That's all that she really wanted.

The youngest Weasley walked through the house to the kitchen. Charlie and Bill's best friend, Remington Dillingham, were standing by the window chatting. Remington was Bill's best man while Charlie was an usher. Gabrielle stared in a spoon so that she could fiddle with her hair.

"Hey, Kid, you ready to go down the aisle?" Charlie asked as he held out an arm.

Ginny smiled and walked towards her older brother, linking their arms together. Molly Weasley hurried through the kitchen with Sophie Delacour behind her. They were ranting about the wedding starting in a couple minutes. They then went outside and started telling everything to take a seat.

Remington went over to Gabrielle and held out his arm for her to take. It was cute to see little Gabrielle standing on her tiptoes to reach the man's arm. The two positioned themselves in front of the backdoor so that when the music started, they would walk down the aisle. Charlie led Ginny to stand behind the maid of honor and best man. Ginny whipped her head around when she heard people talking in fluent French. There was Fleur looking absolutely breathtaking with her arm wrapped with her father's arm.

Music started to play. The back doors magically opened. Remington and Gabrielle started walking towards the archway where Bill and a priest were waiting. Charlie gave his little sister's hand a small squeeze of reassurance. The two siblings started walking down the aisle together with everyone watching them.

Ginny tried her hardest not to look at Harry while walking towards the archway. He was sitting in-between Ron and Fred. The redhead tried so hard to keep her eyes on Bill, but found it was growing increasingly difficult. Bill's once handsome face was covered in scars. One ran from his right temple down to the left side of his chin. Several others littered his neck and face. A discolored whirly scar could be seen on his left hand.

Charlie and Ginny had reached the archway. Charlie gave his little sister a quick kiss on the temple before going off to the right. Ginny made her way to the left to stand next to Gabrielle. Everyone in the seats stood up and turned to watch Fleur and her father come down the aisle. Fleur looked like a goddess. Her white gown was exquisite. There were several feet of a train trailing behind her. Her hair was twisted up elegantly with stray pieces of golden hair framing her face.

Through the whole ceremony, Bill had stared at Fleur as if he wasn't hearing a thing the priest had said. Ginny found it hard herself to absorb the words being said as well. She found herself catching glances at Harry, who was watching the wedding with fascination. Fred and George had an evil glint in their eyes as they stole several funny looks with each other. Ron and Hermione were odd looking. Hermione had tears in her eyes and had her hand clenched in Ron's. Ginny's parents looked proud. Molly was crying as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue every couple seconds. Arthur was smiling like a fool. Tonks and Lupin were sitting next to Ginny's parents with far away looks on their faces. Other Order of the Phoenix members attended the wedding as well as Fleur's family from France.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Ginny turned her head to watch Bill and Fleur lock lips in a passionate looking kiss. Half of the crowd cheered and clapped. Cries of joy could be heard from several. Ginny grinned widely and let out a small cheer for her brother. The newlyweds pulled back. Bill never looked happier in his life. His blue eyes shined with love as he admired his wife. Flashes started to blind the wedding party. Mrs. Weasley, Sophie, and other members of the family started taking pictures to document the day.

When the cameras died down, everyone went over to a table and sat down to enjoy a feast. Ginny sat with her brothers, parents, Hermione, and Harry. Ginny took a seat in-between George and Hermione. The food was delicious. Molly Weasley had outdone herself this time. Silverware clattered loudly and the chatter never seemed to cease. The food quickly disappeared and everyone was filing to dance under the dancing candles. The sun was almost entirely gone.

Ron extended a hand to Hermione. The two walked to the dance floor and started dancing awkwardly. Bill and Fleur were dancing closely in the middle of everyone. Ginny's parents as well as Fleur's were dancing also. Fred and George had decided to dance together – only they were flinging their arms in the air and attempting to due tricks. Several watched the twins and laughed at their antics. Lupin and Tonks had stopped dancing to watch the twins' effort in a muggle style of dance called 'break dancing'. Ginny smiled as she watched everyone dancing when she felt a small tap on her shoulder.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw none other than Harry Potter. His hand was extended and there was a sheepish smile etched on his face. Ginny's hand grasped his, and the two walked out towards where everyone else was dancing. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Ginny tightly towards his body. The redhead's hand was resting on the boy's frail shoulder. Their other hands were intertwined. Neither spoke, but they both looked into each other's eyes hopelessly.

"I won't be here when you wake tomorrow," Harry broke the comfortable silence.

"Where are you going?" Ginny whispered as her throat clenched.

"Godric's Hollow."

"Godric's Hollow?"

"My parents' house," Harry declared softly. "Just for the rest of the summer though. Ron and Hermione are coming with me."

"I'll come with you too, and then we can all go to King's Cross together."

"I'm not going back to Hogwarts," uttered Harry remorsefully.

"What?"

"I'm going to find Voldemort's Horcruxes."

Ginny was at a loss for words. She stared into Harry's eyes as if trying to find a hint of laughter or joke residing in his emerald orbs. She was mistaken, however. His eyes were filled with truth, love, seriousness, and a tiny – very small glimmer – of fear. She wanted to scream, cry, and beg him not to go. Ginny liked to believe she was strong, but she found herself clinging oddly to the love of her life.

"Can we talk somewhere in private?"

Ginny nodded dumbly and broke away from Harry. She grabbed his hand in hers, and the two walked inside the Burrow. They treaded up the stairs and into Ginny's bedroom, which was littered with boxes that had once held wedding supplies. Harry turned crimson as he walked into his ex-girlfriend's room. Ginny let out a strangled chuckle as she closed the door – the lock clicking softly.

Ginny's room was slightly girly and slightly tomboyish. Her walls were covered in a pale pink color with Quidditch posters plastered over it. Her rickety canopy bed had pink and purple sheets on it with at least five different pillows and several stuffed animals. Thin pink cloths hung off the canopy. There were a couple dressers, wardrobes, and a vanity. Each piece of furniture was covered in Quidditch stickers and other stickers. Clothes littered the floor.

"I never thought Harry Potter would be in my room," Ginny giggled softly.

"It's very… pink," Harry said as his eyes searched the room.

Ginny burst out laughing. It was very contagious, and Harry burst out laughing as well. Once the two seemed to calm down and remember why they were in the room in the first place, the laughter had died completely. Ginny sat down on her bed and picked at imaginary fuzz on her comforter. Harry walked over and sat down next to her.

"No one can know where Ron, Hermione, and I are going," Harry spoke softly. "You can't tell anyone."

"I won't," Ginny answered automatically.

"You can't owl me, because I don't want to compromise Ron and Hermione's lives."

"I won't."

"I'll write you as often as I can to let you know we're safe."

Ginny nodded and uttered a soft, "Okay."

"I need you to do something for me."

Ginny's head snapped up and locked her gaze in Harry's. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a necklace. It had a silver chain and a green locket-type thing hanging from the bottom. The necklace twirled in Harry's outstretched hand. It was beautiful.

"This was the Horcrux Dumbledore and I went to retrieve the night he – the night he…" Harry trailed off. "This isn't the real Horcrux though. This replaced the real one. It came with a note by R.A.B. Ginny, I need you to figure out whom R.A.B. is, and I need you to owl me with that information. That's the only owl you can send me."

"R.A.B.?" Ginny questioned with a frown etched on her elegant face.

"The person's most likely dead and was most likely a Death Eater," Harry continued with a nod. "Hermione's been trying to find out whom he is, but we just can't seem to figure out for sure."

"What was Sirius's brother's name?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Pain flashed through Harry's eyes as and left as quickly as it came. It hurt him deeply to talk about Sirius, but he held his head up high and pretended as though he was okay with the death of his godfather. Harry shifted slightly on the bed.

"Uhh… Regulus, I believe."

"Well, there's your R.B.," Ginny declared. "I wonder what his middle name was."

"He was a Death Eater," Harry admitted. "He's died because he wanted out of Voldemort's ranks. Can you research his middle name for me when you get to Hogwarts? I'm sure there are files of students who attended there. Archives in the library most likely."

"Sure," Ginny replied, "I can do that. I'll search for others who match those initials as well."

"Thank-you."

Ginny reached out and clasped Harry's hands into hers. Their bodies leaned forward and their lips locked into a soft kiss. Ginny was about to pull away when Harry had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a bruising kiss. He leaned forward, causing Ginny to fall back on her bed. Harry was on top of the youngest Weasley. Their lips never parted, but their hands were all over each other. Ginny's found her hands in his hair, his neck, and on his chest. Harry found his running over her legs, arms, and along her sides. His hand found it's way under her dress and that was when Harry pulled back immediately.

They were both gasping for breath. Ginny's chest was heaving heavily up and down. Their faces were both red from a mixture of lack of air and embarrassment. Harry muttered a sorry and rolled off the bed. Ginny stayed where she was, however. A smile spread across her freckly face for the first time since Harry and Ginny had split up. The redhead sat up and adjusted her robes so that her legs weren't showing as much as they were.

"Don't worry about it," Ginny said with a smile. "I quite enjoyed it."

"We can't do this until Voldemort is dead."

"Okay."

"I love you, Ginny, I really do."

"I love you too, Harry."

"I just can't have you dying like Sirius did," Harry choked the words out.

"I know."

"I already let the only father I ever knew died… I can't let someone I love as much as you die."

"I know."

The two were both on the verge of tears, but neither let them fall. Ginny blinked several times and turned away from Harry. A freckly arm reached up and quickly wiped her face. She turned back to Harry to see his emerald eyes still glistening with tears. No other words were exchanged. Ginny simply got up out of her bed and wrapped her arms around 'The Chosen One'. Neither knew how long they stood like that and neither of them cared. They felt at ease, comfortable in each other's arms. They were safe as long as they were together.

"Come back to me, Harry," Ginny mumbled in the folds of Harry's robes.

"What?" Harry craned his neck to try to see her face as she unburied her face.

"Come back to me," Ginny said clearer. "Please, just come back to me."

Harry was about to say something semi-comforting when Molly Weasley's voice rang throughout the house. She was shouting their names with panic evident in her voice. They had worried her sick by disappearing. Harry quickly let go of Ginny and ran to the door and yelled to tell Mrs. Weasley they were all right. The teenagers locked a gaze once more before making their way back down to the wedding party.

The party dragged on for hours. Cake was served and more dancing was entailed. Ginny and Harry danced a couple times with each other. Ginny had also danced with Bill and her father. Harry had spent most of his time sitting at the table when not dancing with Ginny. The night ended with a fireworks display from Fred and George. By one o'clock the next morning, everyone had left or was snuggly in their beds. Ginny didn't sleep a wink. She was listening for her brother, Hermione, and Harry to leave. She never did hear them for she had dozed off around three.

The next morning there was shouting from downstairs. Ginny jumped up in her bed and saw – to her surprise – Hedwig, Pig, and Crookshanks in her room. Crookshanks was sleeping at the foot of her bed with a note tied around her neck. Ginny reached forward and took the note and it read:

_My Dearest Ginny,_

_Ron, Hermione, and I are leaving around five o'clock this morning. It's nearly time, so Hermione thought we had better leave you with our pets. Please take care of them. I know you already have Arnold to care for, but three more pets aren't that much? Ron says that you can leave Pig with your parents. I ask you to take Hedwig to Hogwarts with you, however. When you figure out R.A.B., send your letter with Hedwig. I feel Hedwig is the only owl who can find me. Hermione asks that you take Crookshanks to Hogwarts with you. She says you don't need to feed him or anything, because he likes going out at night and catching mice to eat._

_I love you, Ginny, and I hope you stay safe this year at Hogwarts. Stay close to those you trust. Please visit Hagrid. I know he's been so upset ever since Dumbledore passed. Hagrid respected him above all others. I also hope that you continue Quidditch. I hope you play Seeker, because I can't bear to think of anyone else playing my position but you. Don't worry about Ron and Hermione. I'll protect them the best I can. They send their love to you. I will try my hardest to come back to you, so that we can start our relationship again. It honestly was the best I've ever been in my whole life. If I do die, however, I'm going to take down as many Death Eaters as I can manage. I'm also going to try to take down Voldemort as well._

_Hedwig has a letter in her cage for you as well. Do not open it or give it to anyone. That letter is to go to Remus Lupin only if I die. Please, Ginny, it's not to be opened unless I die. In the letter is everything that I know about Voldemort and how to destroy him. It has all the information that Dumbledore showed me. It also contains the objects that Dumbledore thought were the Horcruxes._

_Forever Yours,_

_Harry_

Ginny felt tears running down her face, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She had to have faith that Harry would be okay. She had to believe in him and be strong for him. Mrs. Weasley's voice yelled again in strangled cries. Her bedroom door burst opened, and Ginny quickly hid her letter.

"You're here!" Charlie said frantically. His face was drained off all color.

"What happened?" Ginny tried not to let on that she knew.

"Ron, Harry, and Hermione! They're gone!"

Ginny nodded dimly, her mind wandering to the loving letter from Harry stashed under her leg. Charlie then noticed that the trio's pets were in her room. He questioned her as to why, but the younger Weasley only shrugged her shoulders and muttered, "I don't know." Ginny never saw her mother cry as much as she had that day and the rest of the summer. There were no letters from any of the three. Nobody knew where they were – nobody but Ginny of course. She wouldn't betray Harry's trust, however, so she kept her lips sealed.

Author's Notes – What do you think? Should I go on? I was originally going to have it start after the Horcruxes were destroyed and everything, but I thought I should add a good four or five chapters of back story before I get there. Should I continue? All questions will be answered on my livejoural (links in my profile).


	2. The Woes of Ginny Weasley

Chapter Title – The Woes of Ginny Weasley

The platform wasn't as crowded as it usually was September first. The parents who were there were either dashing their children onto the train or Apparating off the platform. Everyone was frazzled and running around frantically. Several parents were crying their eyes out as they bid adieu to their children.

Mrs. Weasley was one of those crying parents. She had kissed her only daughter at least twenty times and gave her countless amounts of hugs. Charlie, Fred, and George seemed anxious as they watched over the platform as if they were half expecting Death Eaters to attack. Mr. Weasley was talking in low voices with Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. They all had their wands drawn and gripped tightly in their hands. Order of the Phoenix members littered the platform in and out.

The whistle blew loudly. Mrs. Weasley gave Ginny two more kisses and sent her off towards her father. Mr. Weasley kissed and hugged her and turned her into the direction of her three older brothers. They took turns hugging their sister before Ginny made her way onto the Hogwarts Express. The train slowly started to leave the station as Ginny stood in the doorway.

Several cloaked figures were seen out of the corner of Ginny's brown eyes. Her head snapped towards them as one of them raised their wand in the air. The redhead's eyes flickered to see the cloaked figures faces, which were covered in white masks. Ginny opened her mouth to warn her family when spells started flying in every direction. A green spark hit the train inches away from Ginny's head.

A hand reached out and pulled Ginny back from the doorway as a red spark flew in, barely missing her. The train started to speed up and the figures fitting on the platform started to slowly fade. They turned the corner, and the blurs of people were gone. Ginny whipped around to see that a tall, black-haired boy was holding onto her elbow. His blue eyes shimmered lovingly as he studied the girl's face in front of him.

"Ian?" Ginny asked hoarsely with tears shining in her eyes.

"The one and only," he smiled a gorgeous smile.

Ian Van Stantvoordt was a Gryffindor in Ginny's year. The two were good friends since first year. Ginny had often confided in the boy and considered one of her best friends. Ian's father had been killed in the first war, and he lived alone with his mother.

"Do you think they're okay?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Ian answered honestly. "Let's find a compartment… unless you're going to go off and snog Harry Potter."

Ginny faltered. Ian didn't know about what happened between Ginny and Harry. His mother had arrived at Hogwarts before they broke up and dragged him home. Ginny and Ian hadn't written all summer due to constrictions because of the war. Ginny didn't know exactly how Ian had convinced his mother to let him come back to Hogwarts, but he had managed the unthinkable and for that Ginny was glad.

"Harry isn't coming back to Hogwarts this year," Ginny replied with a sniff.

"Why? You'd think he'd want to spend time with you-"

"Harry and I aren't dating," Ginny said flatly, "and Harry has other things to do than be at school."

"Oh."

The two friends walked down the corridors of the Hogwarts Express until they saw Luna and Neville disappear in a compartment. Ginny jogged to catch up with them with Ian following behind her. The compartment door opened with Luna standing in the doorway.

"I thought you were coming," Luna said wistfully.

Ginny slipped in the compartment and sat down across from Neville, who waved madly at her. Ginny returned the wave with a forced smile. Her mind was wandering to the skirmish that had occurred and if anyone had died. Luna took a seat next to Neville as Ian sat down next to Ginny. They sat in silence for several minutes.

"Did you see the battle break out?" Neville asked nervously.

"I think everyone did," Luna replied as she pulled out a copy of _The Quibbler_ to read. "I wonder if some Illuminating Corkscrews are helping in the scuffle. I thought I saw a couple when I got onto the train."

"Illuminating Corkscrews?" Neville questioned.

"Oh, yes," Luna spoke dreamily, "they are nasty buggers. They're shaped like corks, and they have wings. They attack those who give off evil vibrations. You can't see them unless they turn on their lights."

"I wonder why they chose to attack the platform…" Ian wondered aloud as he ignored Luna's last comment.

"Well, it's really not that mind boggling," Ginny spoke up. "I mean, half the Or-"

Ginny cut herself off. Nobody knew about the Order of the Phoenix in the compartment. It was true, however. Half the Order was out on the platform under the commands of Alastor Moody. When Dumbledore had passed, Moody had immediately taken charge of the Order. He was the most experienced, oldest, and closest to Dumbledore. It was only logical that Mad-Eyes would assume Dumbledore's role.

"Half the what?" Ian questioned.

Just as Ginny was about to make up some sorry excuse, there were pops sounding from outside their compartment. The redhead jumped up and slid opened the door to see Remus Lupin standing there with several other Order members. Lupin's lip was split open and there was blood running down his face. The other Order members – whom Ginny couldn't quite place names with – had minor scrapes and bruises as well.

"Lupin!" Ginny shouted as she flung her arms around him. "Please, tell me my family's okay."

Ginny felt the man tense at the sudden touch, but slowly relaxed. One of his hands patted her gently on the head in comfort. The redhead pulled away slightly embarrassed as she swept a hand over her face. Lupin looked dazed for a second before stating, "No one's dead."

"Is anyone seriously hurt?"

"Not really, no," Lupin said hesitantly. "You mustn't worry, Ginny."

"What are you doing on the train, Sir?" Neville asked timidly.

"Uh? Oh," Lupin stammered as though his mind were on something else, "Headmistress McGonagall wanted as much protection on the train as possible."

"If you could Apparate on the train, then what's to say that Death Eaters couldn't just Apparate on too?" Ian challenged.

"Oh, uh, special charms," replied Lupin with a wave of a hand. "The train can recognize special signatures that allow only certain wizards to Apparate onto the train."

"Professor Lupin-" Neville started but was shortly cut off by the man he was addressing.

"Right then, I need to patrol the train."

With that, Lupin and the others with him sauntered away from the small group in different directions. Several more pops could be heard a little ways down the train, but Ginny paid no attention to them. She walked back into her compartment with the others in tow. The rest of the train ride dragged on for hours with no entertainment. Even the witch with the trolley of treats was nowhere to be found.

The train was almost at Hogsmeade Station, so everyone changed into their school robes. There were two loud whistles before the Hogwarts Express came to a halt. Ginny stepped off the train to see a sight she never saw before. Wizards were everywhere with their wands drawn. Several were even flying above on brooms as if scouting the area. Hagrid shouted for the first years, but the boats to Hogwarts were nowhere to be seen. Students hurried into the horseless carriages as quickly as they could.

Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Ian jumped into a carriage and immediately it started trotting down towards the castle. The carriage ride was the shortest one ever. It raced down the trail at a record speed. It stopped right in front of Hogwarts. The four friends piled out of the carriages to see most of the teachers standing outside of Hogwarts with their wands drawn.

"Quickly!" McGonagall shouted. "Get in the Great Hall!"

Everyone increased their pace and filled into the dreary castle. The Great Hall was half empty when the students had stopped filling in. The Slytherin table was the sparsest of them all. Ginny sat awkwardly at the Gryffindor table with Ian next to her. The Patil twins were nowhere to be found. Dean Thomas was also absent – and good riddance to him. Draco Malfoy was also missing, that was a given. There were so many missing that Hogwarts looked almost pathetic.

Ginny turned towards the Great Hall entrance where the first years were walking in with Professor Flitwick. The redhead half expected to see Harry running into the dining hall with a smirk spread across his face, but it didn't happen. Her brown eyes wandered over towards Pansy Parkinson who was crying her eyes out on Blaise Zabini's shoulder. Her eyes then wandered down to the Quidditch Captain badge pinned to her robes. _This should be Harry's_, Ginny thought bitterly.

The Sorting Hat burst into song, but Ginny didn't bother to listen to what was said. Denis Creevey was meandering towards her with a serious look on his face. He sat down next to the littlest Weasley and his eyes immediately flickered to the badge on Ginny's chest. He smiled sweetly at her before turning to the front of the hall, where the sorting had just began. There wasn't a considerable amount of first years, and Ginny was positive this was the shortest sorting ceremony in the history of Hogwarts.

The food had then appeared in front of everyone. Hands reached out and took the delicious food. Ginny didn't have much of an appetite at the moment – nor had she really had one all summer since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had disappeared into the night. Her eyes flickered towards the doors in mere flash of hope, before turning her head towards the staff table with disappointment written all over her features.

Horace Slughorn was bent over the table eating as much food as he possibly could. Hagrid looked absolutely miserable as he pushed his food around without eating. McGonagall and Flitwick were nervously watching the students as if they half expected someone to jump up and start cursing the place. To Ginny's surprise, Remus Lupin was sitting in-between McGonagall and a man who strangely looked like Dumbledore – only his eyes were cold and his hair was a darker shade of gray. Once dinner was over, McGonagall stood up stiffly to address the student body.

"There have been any alterations to the teaching staff at Hogwarts, and it is only appropriate to inform you all," McGonagall declared austerely. "I am now the new Headmistress at Hogwarts, and Professor Flitwick is the Deputy Headmaster. Professor Slughorn has officially taken over the post of Potions Masters and will be the new Head of Slytherin House. Those fifth year and up may remember Professor Lupin. He has respectfully taken up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again and has been named the new Head of Gryffindor House."

A mount of whispers from the older students erupted in the Great Hall. Ginny looked around at her fellow students talking about "ruthless werewolves". The redhead wanted to smack them or at the very least send a very powerful Bat-Bogey hex at them. How could anyone think that the lonely, cursed man could be ruthless? Her eyes strayed over towards Remus Lupin who looked extremely uncomfortable at what was transpiring. McGonagall gave a creepy "hem-hem" that sounded eerily like Umbridge. Everyone stopped talking at once.

"I see that the older students have not failed at spreading around elaborate lies about Professor Lupin. Yes, Professor Lupin is a werewolf-" whispers started again, "EXCUSE ME! I assure you that none of you are in danger! Once a month, at the full moon, Professor Lupin will be leaving the castle to ensure the safety of all of you. At all other times, you will respect and treat Professor Lupin as you would any other teacher. If I see any – and I mean ANY – disrespect towards him, you will live a very miserable year at Hogwarts. He is a man, a human being, and I will not have you treat him any differently."

Ginny felt a sudden pang of admiration towards her ex-Transfiguration teacher. Her words had no doubt touched Lupin beyond recognition. Ginny did what she thought was necessary to show support to Professor Lupin. She clapped her hands loudly and shouted a very thunderous, "Welcome back, Professor!" Some students looked at Ginny as though she was crazy, but she could honestly care less at the moment. Lupin gave her a thankful smile.

"Lastly," McGonagall spoke in a dreading voice, "Professor Dumbledore's brother will be taking over the post of Transfiguration teacher. I know it may be awkward for some of you to address this man as Professor Dumbledore, but I only ask you to see that they are different and not to confuse them. I guarantee you that once you have your first lesson with Professor Dumbledore, you will not think of them as one in the same."

McGonagall then went on about how security was tightened largely over the course of the summer. No one was to leave the castle unless there you were going to a class. The curfew was now an hour earlier. There would only be two Hogsmeade trips, and they would be announced at the last second.

The students were banished to go directly to their dormitories and sleep. Ginny was about to get up and follow Ian out when Lupin called her to stay behind. Nervously, the teenager walked up towards the staff table. There was no doubt in her mind what they were going to ask. They wanted to know where Harry was, and they weren't going to stop until they got an answer. Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid, Dumbledore's brother, and Flitwick led Ginny back to the Gryffindor table as the other teachers left to make sure that the students made their way back to their dormitories safely.

The five stood across from Ginny in a patronizing way. The Weasley wanted nothing more than to leave than be interrogated by them until she passed out. She took a deep breath and waited for one of them to speak. The silence was deafening. Ginny wondered if her professors could hear her heart pounding, for it felt as though it was going to pound out of her chest.

"Ginny," Lupin started as calmly as possible, "your parents told us you know nothing of what happened to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I believe, as well as others, that you aren't being completely honest with us. We need to know where they went so that we can protect them. Please, Ginny."

"I don't know where they went!" Ginny cried.

"It isn't news to us that you and Harry had developed something very special last year," Lupin pressed. "I highly doubt Harry wouldn't have said at least something to you."

"He didn't," Ginny tried to sound as convincing as possible.

She was a fairly good liar. When she was little, Fred and George had taught her how to lie to their parents so that she would never be caught at doing something wrong. They had taught her a little too well, however. She had often lied when something happened and blamed it on her brothers. It was then her brothers who would be punished instead of her. It was payback for always being the one picked on by her brothers.

"I'm highly trained in Occlumency, Ginny," Lupin spoke softly. "I know you aren't telling us the whole truth."

"Okay, so he said something," Ginny admitted for there was no reason to go on lying if Lupin could see straight through her lies.

"What did he say?"

"At Bill's wedding, we went into my room. He told me that the three of them were leaving during the night and weren't coming back to Hogwarts."

"Where were they going?" McGonagall spoke up.

"Godric's Hollow," Ginny stated as Lupin paled significantly, "and then off to finish what Professor Dumbledore had started – not you, but the other one."

"What was Albus doing?" Aberforth Dumbledore spoke in a gruff voice.

Ginny's swallowed a lump in her throat that she didn't even know that was there. Her eyes wandered over towards the grumpy, old wizard. His sharp blue eyes bored into Ginny as though he were trying to unravel an anonymity. Ginny quickly turned back to Lupin whose eyes too were burning into her.

"Go ahead, Ginny," Lupin encouraged.

"Dumbledore was teaching Harry about You-Know-Who all last year," Ginny tried to be as vague as possible. "He showed Harry how to kill _him_. Harry felt as though it was his duty to finish _him_ off. Ron and Hermione didn't want Harry to go alone, so they went with him. I- I tried to convince Harry to let me go too… but… he made it seem like he would rather die than have me get hurt."

"How do you kill You-Know-Who?" Flitwick piped up.

"Something about destroying his Horcruxes."

"Horcruxes?" Lupin's brow furrowed. "How many?"

"I- I don't know," Ginny answered honestly. "Harry made it seem like there were quite a few."

"Quite a few?" Flitwick exclaimed. "Surely you are mistaken!"

"That's all I know, Professor, I swear!" Ginny exclaimed to Lupin. "Please, can I go to my dorm?"

The walk to Gryffindor Tower was too long and quiet. Lupin looked as though he was thoroughly thinking through everything Ginny had said minutes ago. The redhead wanted to kill herself. She had betrayed Harry. Harry had made her promise not to tell anyone what they were doing, and she did. She spilled it all out. Her conscious battled with it.

_What else could I have done? Lupin can read minds!_

**You could have been less obvious about of the whole situation.**

_He knew I wasn't telling the whole truth, and he would have forced it out of me in the end._

**Maybe he wouldn't. How do you know? You didn't even try.**

_I didn't think_.

**You could say that again.**

_I never meant to betray Harry so easily. I meant to try, but it didn't work out._

**Meaning to and doing so are two utterly different things. You didn't try to do anything. You gave up. So much for your Gryffindor bravery.**

Ginny hated when the little voice in her head outsmarted her. It was royally annoying. The redhead wanted to bang her head on the walls, but refrained from doing so – at least until she found herself alone somewhere. Usually Ginny was a quick thicker and would come out with something that could pass Lupin's creepy mind reading abilities, but she was too worried about her brother, friend, and quite possibly the love of her life that she couldn't even think straight.

They reached Gryffindor Tower, and the two bade each other a goodnight. Lupin spoke the password ("Heart's Parade"). Ginny walked up to her dormitory and collapsed down on her bed. She welcomed sleep with open arms, except sleep wasn't as willing to accept the embrace. After hours of tossing and turning – and a horrifying dream of Harry dying – Ginny fell into a peaceful slumber. Only the sleep didn't last long for she was rudely awoken by someone's alarm.

Ginny treaded down to breakfast to see that almost all of the students were already eating. Lupin was discussing schedules with the Gryffindors. He was currently talking to Ian. Ginny sauntered over towards the two and sat down to the left of Ian. Both boys looked up briefly at her before returning to the schedule.

"That looks about right," Lupin stated. "I'll see you in Defense later then. Ginny, you want to eat first or discuss your schedule?"

"Schedule," Ginny said firmly for she wasn't hungry.

"You have amazing results in Defense, Charms, and Potions – Outstandings actually. Impressive. You're in those courses easily. History of Magic… I see you rather failed that one. You made the Divination with Exceeding Expectations, but I see you didn't put down that you wanted to continue studying."

"Divination is fruitless," Ginny declared with a wave of the hand. "What else?"

"Muggle Studies you barely passed, but you don't want to continue that either?"

"I learned all that I could learn in that class."

"Right then," Lupin said with a smile creeping up on his face. "So the only other classes you are taking are Ancient Runes, Arithmomancy, Astronomy, Herbology, and Transfiguration?"

"Correct," Ginny declared.

Lupin tapped his wand to the schedule and then handed it to Ginny with a smile. The shabby professor then stood up and went off to find another sixth year. The redhead leaned over to compare her timetable with Ian. They had basically all the same classes except that Ian was continuing with Care of Magical Creatures. That was weird, since Ginny knew he was going to be the only one in that class.

Potions was first that day, a free period followed, lunch, Transfiguration, and finally Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ian's schedule was full due to the fact that he had Care of Magical Creatures before lunch. Ginny questioned her friend on why he was taking the class, and he simply answered, "There's never a dull moment with Hagrid."

The two made their way towards Professor Slughorn's classroom. Ginny dragged her feet the whole way there while making all sorts of noises of protests. Ian ignored her feeble attempts to try to get out of class. It wasn't that Ginny didn't like school or Potions; it was the fact that she was inducted into the 'Slug Club'. She had never really been to any of the meetings before – for Harry had slyly made all Quidditch practices on those days. Ginny had a feeling she would do the same.

They walked into the classroom and sat towards the back. Ginny smacked her book down onto the desk heavily. Several students who were already there looked at her oddly before turning away. Slughorn didn't seem to notice the noise for he was too busy reading the rubbish in the _Daily Prophet_. Ian hissed at her to sit down. Ginny did so but only after she gave out a very long and dramatic sigh.

The class was an utter waste of time in Ginny's eyes. They had to make a Babbling Beverage for kicks. The student that made the best babblings received a special gift from Slughorn. It wasn't a surprise when Luna had won at the end of the lesson – for she was extremely gifted in Potions. She had simply received two vials of Babbling Beverage for fun. Luna had given one of the vials to Ginny and asked her to 'use it well'.

The rest of the morning passed slowly. Ginny had walked with Ian outside to Hagrid's Hut, only to find that no one was there. The two made their way to Hagrid's front door and knocked. The half giant appeared in the doorway with an apron tied around his large waist and a kettle in his right hand.

"What could I do fer yeh?" asked Hagrid.

"I have class…" Ian trailed off.

"Then yeh should get there!"

"I have class with _you_," Ian stressed.

A smile spread across the man's face and his eyes lit up. He dropped the kettle with a loud _clunk_ and whipped his hands on his apron. Hagrid led the two Gryffindors towards the pumpkin patch. Ginny felt slightly guilty for going since she wasn't in the class, but she didn't dare say anything. Hagrid looked absolutely thrilled to have the two in his company. Since he didn't have any lessons planned, the two Gryffindors saw what the other classes were covering. Hagrid was about to show them something that was hissing with fangs when the bell rang to indicate lunch.

Lunch passed slowly, as Ginny was excited to attend Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts. After what seemed like forever, the two Gryffindors made their way to the Transfiguration classroom. The room looked different than it did when McGonagall used it. The room was dark and dreary. There was even a stand in the corner of the classroom filled with Firewhiskey bottles. Ginny and Ian took a seat in the middle of the classroom so that they could see the reactions from all the students.

Aberforth Dumbledore strolled into the classroom five minutes after the bell had rung to indicate the beginning of class. The grumpy man sat down behind his desk, took out the Daily Prophet, and began to read. Students looked at each other with puzzled looks etched on their faces. Nobody knew exactly what was going on. Ten more minutes passed before Dumbledore put down the paper. He seemed mildly surprised that there were students waiting for him.

The old man stood up and grabbed a goblet from off his desk. He held it in his left hand. His wand was then pointed at the goblet. The man jabbed the goblet twice with the tip of his wand. The goblet had disappeared and was replaced with an empty bottle. The sixth year students glanced at each other nervously. It wasn't until the professor talked that everyone shut his or her mouths immediately.

"Now, do what I did," the Transfiguration professor grumbled brusquely before retreating to his desk.

Several students let out laughs of disbelief. Others stared at the professor as if they had never seen anything like him before. There were the ones with their mouths hung open in confusion – which was exactly what Ginny was doing. The students sat waiting for the professor to elaborate on what to do, but none came. The sixth year students slowly started picking up goblets from a box in the front of the room. They went back to their seats and started poking the goblets.

Ginny started flipping through her Transfiguration book lazily trying to find what Professor Dumbledore had done. Ian was prodding his goblet fiercely, but it didn't turn into anything. Students were getting frustrated for they didn't even know what incantation to use. The bell rang and every student quickly tried to leave the classroom at once. Nobody wanted to stay longer than they had to.

Ginny and Ian made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was most likely going to be a class that they could actually learn in. The two Gryffindors were the almost the last students to walk into the room. All the students were squished towards the back of the room – except Luna Lovegood, who was sitting in the middle of the front row. Ginny smiled and went over to sit to the right left of Luna, and Ian then sat down on the other side of Ginny.

Remus Lupin soon walked into the classroom with a grimace of disappointment sketched on his weary face. He forced a warm smile at the three pupils in the front row. Lupin walked around his desk to stand in front of it and several teenagers had shifted farther back in the room. Ginny turned her head around to face them. Her eyes caught Colin Creevey's, and Ginny motioned him to come forward. Colin feverishly shook his head.

"Right then," Lupin said with fake cheer as he surveyed the class, "I was thinking of training you in fighting off those who are joining forces with Lord Voldemort."

Several people gasped in horror as chairs skidded back farther. Others shivered in fear. Ginny had cringed at the name as she watched Luna sit there as if she hadn't heard the name. Another frown appeared on Lupin's face as his eyes flickered towards Ginny. The redhead gave Lupin what she hoped was an encouraging look.

"Like you, werewolf," a snide comment came from the back of the room.

"How many of you have attempted a Patronus before?" Lupin continued as though he hadn't heard the last comment.

Ginny and Luna raised their hands in the air. Ginny twisted her body back to see other members of the DA from two years ago timidly raise their hands up in the air as well. Lupin had then asked those students to approach the front. The kids from the back of the room stood as far away from the Defense professor as possible while Ginny had went over and stood so close to Lupin that their arms were almost touching. Luna had went on Lupin's other side and stood nearly a foot away from him.

"Now, I want you to show the class and myself how far you have progressed in your Patronus."

Everyone in the front of the room concentrated for several seconds before shouting the spell. Luna's wand emitted a silvery peacock. Zacharias Smith, Michael Corner, and Colin Creevey's wands emitted silvery smoke. Ginny's wand had emitted a swirl of silver with four legs.

The rest of the class was spent attempting to conjure a Patronus. Lupin had asked Luna to help him instruct the other students, which she did so gladly. Although the only students helped were Ginny, Ian, and Colin. Others seemed tense around Professor Lupin, and tried their hardest not to get too close to him. It was as if they half expected Lupin to bare back his mouth and sink his teeth into them. It royally annoyed Ginny to no end.

Author's Notes – Longer than I planned, but just like I wanted it to turn out. Please leave reviews to tell me what you think!


	3. The Infamous Mirrors

Chapter Title – The Infamous Mirrors

The school year progressed at a horribly fast pace. October was already roaring in at full speed. The air grew bitter and the leaves started to become sparse. The classes at Hogwarts were getting increasingly more difficult. Professors became odder and more edgy. Transfiguration was one of the most hated classes among the whole student body. Professor Dumbledore never explained anything. He expected his students to know exactly what they were doing. Potions was becoming an eccentric affair with Slughorn. He favored only those who were in what he dubbed 'The Slug Club'. Slughorn seemed anxious and flustered all the time, and he often jumped at the smallest things. Defense Against the Dark Arts became a favorite class among the students – even though more than half of the students were still petrified of Lupin. Trelawney muttered in the hallways about the Tarot cards making strange combinations. Binns was his usual self and rambled on about Goblin Rebellions. It was as if the ghost didn't know anything of what was going on. Flitwick seemed very intent on teaching Charms that could be used in battles.

"Ginerva?"

Ginny didn't hear nor notice anyone else in the library. She had been pouring over folders of Hogwarts alumni. Her head was pounding from lack of sleep and all of the reading she had done over the past month. Every single week, the redhead found herself rereading Regulus Black's dossier. Ginny was convinced that R.A.B. was Black. His middle name was Alphard, so it all seemed to fit. The only other person who really fit the initial criteria and wasn't dead was Rudolf Alexander Brande – the captain of the Holyhead Harpies.

"Ginerva Weasley?"

The sixteen-year-old turned around to see a girl in Slytherin robes standing behind her. Ginny straightened up and quickly tried to cover up the records of past students. Ginny didn't know the Slytherin's name, but the redhead had seen her walking the hallways several times. Her pale skin was illuminated in the pastel library lighting. Her sleek, long black hair flowed down to the small of her back. Her gray eyes shone oddly at the Gryffindor.

"Yes," Ginny confirmed.

"Do you know who I am?" the Slytherin beauty asked.

Ginny thought feverishly for several seconds before she told the girl she didn't. The Slytherin's lips curved up in a sardonic sort of smile. The redhead gave an apologetic look, but the other girl seemed as though she didn't take any notice. The Slytherin strolled forward and sat down next to the Gryffindor. Ginny quickly tried to hide the dossiers before the other girl could see them.

"I am Adrasteia Pomeroy," the girl spoke calmly. "I am in your year – sixth."

"Nice to meet you."

Ginny was horribly uncomfortable around the girl, but tried her hardest to sound polite. There was a tone of suspicion that she couldn't keep out of her voice. The Slytherin didn't seem to notice, however. Ice gray eyes wandered over the dossiers on the library table. Ginny leaned her body over the table in an awkward position to cover up the files.

"I know what you are doing," Adrasteia spoke silkily. "He knows too, Ginerva. I have heard my father talking of you and of Harry Potter – my father works with the Dark Lord."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny replied with her eyes narrowed, "and I don't care, because I don't trust those from Death Eater families."

"The Dark Lord will come after you to get to Potter, Ginerva," the Slytherin uttered coolly.

"Let's seem him try."

"A noteworthy exclamation of bravery."

Adrasteia had a grin playing on her face and her eyes sparkled with pride. Ginny squirmed under the gaze. The redhead stood up and started gathering the folders together to put back. Right now, Ginny didn't want to hear about bravery, deaths, or what You-Know-Who was planning at the moment. Adrasteia Pomeroy came from a Death Eater family, which meant that she couldn't be trusted until she proved she was trustworthy. However, building trust is the hardest task imaginable.

"You are the only one who can help Potter bring down the Dark Lord," Adrasteia said as she stood up to follow Ginny towards the student archive filing cabinets.

"Oh, yes, because there is so much I can do to from Hogwarts to help Harry," Ginny declared condescendingly.

"You will lead the stronghold at Hogwarts, Ginerva, while Potter leads those he trusts most to the Dark Lord's lair."

"You know, it's really bugging me that you're calling me Ginerva," Ginny spoke icily. "Another thing, you should really stay out of my life seeing as we just met a minute ago."

"You cannot expect to protect Hogwarts without help."

"I don't expect to protect Hogwarts at all," the redhead replied as she briskly walked out of the library with the Slytherin at her heels.

"Yes, you do, Ginerva," Adrasteia declared. "You are prepared to fight for love."

"Oh, yes, because you see me fighting off five Death Eaters as we speak," Ginny said sarcastically.

"You would follow Harry Potter blindly into a fight he deems his own, but you would not follow anyone else. Your foolish loyalty to Potter will get you killed."

Ginny faltered in her strides to whip around and face the Slytherin. Brown eyes narrowed at the girl with extreme distaste. Ginny wanted to hex Adrasteia to no end at that moment, but held herself back. The redhead didn't even notice she had her wand clenched tightly in hr right hand.

"I would follow my family to protect them," snapped Ginny.

"To protect them, Ginerva, not to fight along side them. There is a colossal difference."

"What do you want from me?" the redhead sighed.

"To prove that not all Slytherins impulsively pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord. I am prepared to abandon my family for the cause that Albus Dumbledore died for."

With that, the Slytherin spun around with her black hair whipping behind her. She walked briskly in the opposite way she had been walking. Ginny stood there in the middle of the hallway dumbfounded. The youngest Weasley turned and slowly walked back to Gryffindor Tower with a thousand thoughts filling her head.

"Weasel, Weasel is very sad! Weasel, Weasel wants her Pottyhead! But Pottyhead doesn't love her, no he'd rather leave to get himself dead!" Peeves crackled as he fled around Ginny as she walked.

"You know my brothers are Fred and George," Ginny spoke aloofly. "I thought you respected them."

"Peevesie knows better than to think all Weasels are the same."

"Maybe I should call the Bloody Baron then," Ginny shot back.

Peeves gave out an annoying cry of 'nooooo' before he flung his body into the nearest wall. Ginny smiled to herself as she walked in peace to her dormitory. She snuck inside her dorm room and quietly made her way to her four-poster bed. She closed the curtains around her and immediately closed her eyes and welcomed sleep.

The next morning, Ginny was woken by a tapping noise. The redhead groaned as she stuck her head out from behind her drapery. There was a tawny owl pecking at the glass of the window to be let inside. Apparently, the other girls in her dorm didn't hear the tapping or they were already out of the dorm. Ginny hauled her small body out from her bed and sauntered over towards the window. She threw the latch back and the owl came soaring in. A letter was dropped, which Ginny immediately picked up to see very familiar handwriting. The letter read:

_My Dearest Ginny,_

_It had been awhile since I've touched you. I have seen you wandering all over the castle. I'm always watching over you to ensure your safety. I constantly have the Marauder's Map out to make sure that you are unharmed. I watch as you spend an awfully lot of time in the library, and I thank you for helping me._

_We are one step closer to living a world without Voldemort. We have destroyed one of the Horcruxes. That's three down now and four to go – unless the necklace is already destroyed. We're staying in a run down motel at the moment, attempting to get some rest. Ron and Hermione are in the room adjacent to me – they are now officially dating. I half wonder if they chose to have their own room to **get down to business** if you know what I mean. I want to gouge my eyes out at the very thought of that. Now I have spread the disturbing image to you._

_Don't worry about these letters being intercepted and being read. Hermione placed a charm on them so that only those with Weasley blood in them can read it. It was the only thing Hermione could think of, and it works perfectly since we have Ron here to poke with needles to get his blood._

_I count down the days until I will see you again. It seems as though each day I don't see your face and beautiful red hair, I go mad a little. I can't help but think about you and how you are doing. I need to see you, so I have come up with a plan of how to do this. You know about the Shrieking Shack, don't you? Well, of course you do, you're not dim. Anyways, it's really not haunted or anything like that. Lupin used the house when he was a student at Hogwarts when he had to deal with his fury little problem. There's a way to get in there through the Whomping Willow, there's a secret passage way. You need to prod a switch at the base of the tree to make the branches stop thrashing about. That's when you can slip down a hole and into a passageway. It only goes one place; so don't worry about getting lost. Once you reach the house, go up the stairs. There's a room off to the right, it looks sort of like a bedroom. Under the bed, there will be a mirror. I have a mirror identical to it. All you have to do is say my name, and we'll be able to talk to each other. Ron and I tested them out before I planted that one in the house. If I want to contact you, you will hear your name being called from the mirror. The mirrors belonged to my father and Sirius – Sirius gave me my dad's before he passed. I never did use it to contact him though – maybe if I would have remembered the mirror then we wouldn't have dashed off to the Department of Mysteries._

_Ron and Hermione send their love. Ron wants me to tell you to watch out for those boys and hex them if they try anything. I utterly agree with him. Hermione says to study and work hard. Stay safe and be on a look out for spies within Hogwarts. I see that Lupin has returned to Hogwarts. He really needs a friend. I'm afraid Sirius's death really took a toll on him. I also saw that Dumbledore's brother was residing at Hogwarts. Weird, isn't it? I bet he's teaching Transfiguration, since Dumbledore taught Transfiguration before he became headmaster. I heard he was uh- an odd block to say the least. Mad-Eye Moody told me that._

_Much Love,_

_Harry_

Ginny didn't even notice that tears were pouring down her face. The letter was clenched tightly in her hands. She reread the words at least three more times before she folded it neatly and slipped it into her trunk with the other letter. The redhead sat next to her trunk and thought of how she would get into the Shrieking Shack without being noticed. Deciding to do it during class, since the castle was bolted up securely at night, Ginny changed into her school uniform. The teenager raced towards the Herbology classroom outside, she seemed destined to go that day to get the mirror.

Ian was already standing next to the greenhouse waiting for Ginny to come. He took one look at Ginny's red face and instantly asked what was wrong? She brushed him off before stepping into the greenhouse. Ginny only stayed in Herbology for ten minutes before stating to Professor Sprout that she felt nauseous. The professor waved her off to see Madam Pomfrey, giving the redhead ample time sneak into the Shrieking Shack. As she left, Ian gave her a curious look.

Finding the switch on the Whomping Willow was harder than she expected. After five minutes of looking for one out of the branches wrath, she spotted it. Ginny crouched down on the ground and shot a spark out of her wand to hit the switch. She missed the first time, but quickly got it the second. The branches froze. The Gryffindor dashed forward and slipped through the small opening easily.

The passageway was dark and dreary, and the only light was coming from the hole in the tree. She drew her wand up high above her head and whispered, "Lumos". The passage was narrow and seemed as though it was going to last forever. Finally, she reached the first floor of the Shrieking Shack. Everything was scratched and bitten. Ginny felt slightly sick to know that Lupin had caused the damage because of something he couldn't control. She walked up the stairs, which gave ominous creeks.

The bedroom was exactly where Harry had stated it to be. There was a rickety bed position against a wall in the middle of the room. Ginny walked forward and looked under the bed to see a small handheld mirror resting peacefully on the wood floors. She reached out a hand and grasped the handle. She hauled it out from underneath the bed and stared at it.

"Harry," she whispered with the mirror shaking slightly in her hands.

Nothing happened, however, and Ginny suddenly got worried. What if they were attacked at the motel? What if they were all dead? Ginny shook the thoughts from her head and said Harry's name again, but only louder and clearer. The redhead's reflection started to ripple and slowly disappear. It was about ten seconds later that Ginny was staring into the face of the boy she loved. His green eyes were sparking oddly in the mirror.

"I see you got my letter," he spoke with a smile.

"Harry!" was all that managed to escape from Ginny's lips.

"How are you?"

"What a silly question to ask! Out of all the things you could ask me, you ask me that?" Ginny retorted.

"I didn't know that was such a ridiculous question. I think it was quite a good one in all honesty."

"You know I'm safe at Hogwarts, Harry! It's me who should be worried about you."

"I'm fine, I said so in the letter," Harry replied with a goofy smile etched upon his face. "We're off to Wales tomorrow."

"Wales? There's a Horcrux in Wales?"

"I believe so," Harry sighed and his face suddenly looked very drawn. "There was a woman who lived in Wales that Voldemort killed."

Ginny shuddered slightly when Harry spoke You-Know-Who's name, but hoped that Harry didn't see it. The boy in the mirror had pushed his glasses up with his hand to rub his tired eyes. The hand then proceeded to run through his messy hair. He looked juvenile doing so.

"You look tired," Ginny said before she could stop herself.

"Yes, well, trying to remember the details of memories from my lessons with Dumbledore is quite hard."

"Anything I can do?"

"Remember for me?" Harry joked.

The two went on to talk about Hogwarts and the new professors. She talked about how everyone hated Lupin and Dumbledore. She went on about her classes and her thoughts about R.A.B. A half hour later, the two bid their goodbyes. Ginny felt slightly disappointed on not talking to Harry longer, but there were things that needed to be done. When those things were done, Harry and Ginny would have their whole lives to be together.

The Gryffindor treaded back down the tunnel to the grounds of Hogwarts. She attended her afternoon classes all the while hearing Ian asked her where she went during Herbology. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friend, but he wouldn't understand. He didn't understand how she was feeling and what she was going through. It was better not to worry him.

After dinner had ended, Ginny thought it would be nice if she made a visit to Lupin – keep him company. Harry did say he took Sirius's death really hard in his last letter. Ginny walked towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and knocked on the door. Lupin's soft voice called her in.

Lupin sat at his desk looking extremely beaten. Huge bags were residing under his amber eyes. His face and body seemed thinner than usual. The man seemed weak as the quill in his hand shook. His sandy hair was littered in more gray than it had before. Ginny hadn't seen him in a week, but didn't think he would look this horrible.

"Hey, Professor Lupin," Ginny greeted cheerfully as she strolled up to sit across from him.

"Hello, Ginny," Lupin welcomed weakly, "I never did get to thank you for all you have done for me so far this year."

"I haven't done anything."

"Yes, yes, you have," Lupin declared as he gave Ginny his full attention. "Everyone was petrified of me when I came, and now slowly the students are starting to warm up to me because of your – let us call it – threats to hex them with a very powerful Bat-Bogey hex."

"Hey, it worked!" Ginny laughed.

"I thank you for that."

"You're just sick, Professor. It's just a disease that you acquired."

Lupin let out a laugh as a smile appeared on his face. His eyes sparkled as though he were remembering something enchanting. He didn't look old and drawn in this moment; he looked young and filled with life. His eyes shined at Ginny fondly.

"Lily – Harry's mother – called it an illness much like you just did," Lupin explained. "Last Christmas, Harry called it my problem – which was what James Potter used to call it. You two remind me so much of them."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, it's a very good thing," Lupin replied. "I've watched you. You have the same sarcastic mouth Lily had as a teenager."

"Professor Slughorn said that she was very cheeky."

"Oh, yes, that she was," Lupin smiled warmly. "She was especially cheeky whenever she talked to Sirius or James. She used to hate James with a fiery passion. She once told him she wished that his toenails would grow inward and rip his feet apart."

"Ouch," Ginny announced as she scrunched up her face, "that would be painful!"

"She often wished pain and suffering to James."

"Why in all that is holy would they get married if they hated each other?"

"Oh, James never hated Lily," Lupin replied gravely. "His infatuation with her is what made Lily hate him so much. She thought he was arrogant and a show off – but Lily never realized she was like that as well. She was a hypocrite in a sense. She loved attention, craved it actually. I think that's why Lily and Sirius got along so well. Sirius liked to be the center of attention at school because he lacked it at home. Lily loved to be the center of attention all the time – both at home and at school, and so the two often competed for it. They got a lot of it too."

"Is that why Lily's sister hated her? Because she got all the attention?"

"Most likely. Lily always said Petunia was jealous of her."

"They sound like really fun people," Ginny commented, "at least Lily does."

"She was," Lupin frowned. "I miss her a lot."

The room grew silent. Lupin looked as though he were remembering the past. Ginny let him do so. He had been through so much in his life. Ginny wondered what it would be like if the Potters had never died. Maybe Sirius would still be alive, and Lupin wouldn't be so depressed. Harry would be overjoyed and probably utterly sarcastic.

"You're not alone," Ginny voiced.

"What?" Lupin asked as he looked up at the redhead.

"You're not alone," she repeated, "Tonks loves you. Hermione thinks you're brilliant. Ron was in love with your class. Harry likes you. I like you. Just because Sirius, James, and Lily are dead doesn't mean that you have no one."

"Sometimes people forgot those whom they have because of those they lost."

"No offense, but that's stupid," Ginny exclaimed. "I mean, if you live in the past you're not going to get anywhere in life. You need to realize what you have and live with it, because those who have died wouldn't want you moping in self-pity."

"You're right, but people forget that. I forget it… especially when people just keep dying."

"Did someone die?" Ginny asked softly.

"Yes," Lupin whispered throatily as though he were trying to stop himself from crying.

"Who?"

"Tonks –"

Ginny closed her eyes as tears stung her eyes. _No, please, not Tonks, _Ginny thought furiously. It couldn't be. She couldn't be dead. No, she had just gotten together with Lupin. They loved each other. She needed to be all right for him. Just like Harry needed to be all right for her.

"Tonks was pregnant with our child," Lupin continued with his head bowed.

Ginny's mind went numb. With her brown eyes shimmering with tears, she watched Lupin. His frail shoulders were shaking. The Gryffindor knew her professor was crying, but she didn't know how to comfort him.

"Tonks lost the child because of the full moon," Lupin choked on the words.

"Is Tonks okay?" questioned Ginny.

"She – she's devastated."

Ginny reached out and grasped Lupin's hand in hers. The werewolf looked up at the teenage with tears cascading down his face. Neither knew how long they had stayed like that. Ginny's small gesture had helped the professor immensely – even though she didn't know it. Before long, they had both calmed down and fell asleep across from each other in uncomfortable chairs – their hands still intertwined for reassurance that everything would turn out to be okay one day.

The morning's first rays crept into the Defense office and hit Ginny square in the face. Her head lifted and sharp pains radiated through her neck and upper back. The Gryffindor blinked several times and saw Professor Lupin sleeping across from her. Ginny withdrew her hand from her professor's. The teenager stood up and attempted to crack her back to release some of the pain she felt. Lupin stirred as he groaned. His head lifted and his eyes caught sight of Ginny. He shot her an apologetic smile.

"I should go get ready for class," Ginny announced. "I have you today, so I except you to get your things ready and be in class."

"Okay."

"I'll see you then, Professor."

"Ginny?" Lupin called out for her when Ginny turned to walk out the door.

"Yes?"

"Thank-you for uh… making me feel better."

"Anytime, Professor Lupin," Ginny replied automatically.

"You know, when we're not in class, feel free to call me Remus."

Ginny looked at him oddly for a few seconds before smiling widely and telling him she would. The teenage girl walked out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and made her way to Gryffindor Tower to get ready for her classes. Little did she know, she left Remus Lupin feeling happier than he had been since Sirius's death. Both of them knew that they would become great friends, for they both knew the pains of war and losing loved ones.

Author's Notes – Oh, look! I have it up on time! Utterly amazing, but I didn't revise it. So beware of some mistakes.Please leave some reviews; it'll only take you twenty seconds at the most. I'd really appreciate it.


	4. The Annihilation of Hogsmeade

Chapter Title – The Annihilation of Hogsmeade

Whenever Ginny Weasley wasn't in the library researching R.A.B., the Gryffindor found herself keeping Remus Lupin company. He had often helped her with homework and chatted about things that were happening with Tonks and the Order of the Phoenix. Ginny didn't dare say anything about Harry, only that she knew he was alive and well. Remus didn't push it and for that, Ginny was grateful.

It was one night in the middle of October that Ginny walked towards the Defense classroom with her satchel draped over her shoulder. She knocked gently on the wooden door to hear a muffled 'come in'. The redhead swung open the door to see the back of Remus's head sitting next to a woman with long black hair. The woman was crying softly into the professor's tattered robes.

Ginny felt suddenly embarrassed to walk into a scene like this. She stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do. She didn't recognize the back of the woman's head. The Gryffindor shifted uncomfortably. The werewolf turned his head and his eyes caught his student's. Remus gave a reassuring smile.

"Come sit down, Ginny," Remus's voice was gentle.

"Ginny?"

The dark-haired woman turned around to face the younger witch. It was then that Ginny realized the woman was Tonks. She looked eerily like Sirius's mother at the moment. Her gray eyes glistened with tears. Her heart-shaped face was pallid and drawn. The woman forced a welcoming smile on her face despite she felt as though she were dying inside – for Molly Weasley had always told her daughter that losing a child was the worst thing imaginable.

"It's good to see you, Tonks!" Ginny exclaimed as she rushed over to the woman and pulled her into a warm embrace.

The two pulled apart and unconsciously, Tonks's hand wandered down to her flat stomach. Ginny couldn't help but stare. It wasn't until Remus's hand tenderly touched the redhead's shoulder that the teenager tore her eyes away from Tonks.

"I- I should get back to headquarters," Tonks sighed wearily. "Mad-Eye wants me out tonight."

"Be careful," Ginny whispered.

"Yes, we both want you back here safely," Remus stated calmly.

"Bye."

Tonks hugged Ginny briefly before turning towards the man she loved. Ginny watched out of the corner of her eyes as the two hugged. Remus kissed Tonks on the forehead and whispered words of comfort. The witch nodded as tears burned her eyes. Their lips met for a split second before the sulking Tonks made her way over towards the fireplace. She was gone in a swirl of green fire.

"How are classes?" asked Remus.

"Tonks is really upset isn't she?" Ginny ignored her professor. "I'm sorry I came. I know you two probably want to be alone…"

"Don't worry about it," Remus said nonchalantly. "There was no way you could have known."

"I'm really sorry about the baby…" Ginny trailed off. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Don't worry about it, Ginny," the werewolf spoke sternly. "You have enough to worry about then indulge yourself in the problems that Tonks and I are having."

Ginny bit her lip. She wanted to be involved. She had come to think of Tonks like a sister – just like she had thought of Hermione as a sister. Then Remus, over the past couple weeks she had started to view her ragged professor as an uncle figure. Ginny thought of them as family and wanted to be involved in their affairs.

"Any word from Harry?"

The littlest Weasley snapped out of her thoughts of family to look at the drawn man. Dark circles resided under his eyes. He looked suspiciously thinner than usual. Was a full moon approaching?

"He's fine," Ginny replied with a sigh. "I just wish I could be there with him… I miss him so much, Remus."

_No, no, Ginerva stop, _Ginny thought furiously as tears stung her eyes. She swore she wouldn't cry over this. She was strong; she wasn't a little girl anymore. The redhead ducked her head and tried to wipe her face with her arm without looking like she was doing so. It was so hard; she missed Harry so much. It felt like a piece of her was dying each day she spent without Harry next to her. She never knew how she spent so many years without him.

"We all miss him, and we all wish we could be with him to help him out," Remus declared as he put a comforting arm around the teenager. "He doesn't want help. You and I both know that Harry doesn't want to put us in danger and that's why he's not telling anyone specifically where he is."

"Ron and Hermione are with him," Ginny stated bitterly. "I wish I meant as much to Harry as those two do."

"I think," the professor started, "that you mean more to Harry than Ron and Hermione."

"That's stupid," the redhead laughed sourly. "Those are his best friends, and I'm just the clingy little girl who's obsessed with him."

"Harry's doing this for you," Remus whispered, "because he loves you. He wants you to be happy. He wants to be with you, but he can't unless all this darkness is gone. He'll come back, Ginny, and you two will start where you left off. I promise."

Ginny lunged at her professor and hugged him tightly around the neck. That was exactly what she needed to hear to keep going. Ginny never considered herself weak or naïve, but it was these times of war that made her insecurities jump out.

The rest of the month passed quickly. The end of October marked the first Hogsmeade visit. It was announced at breakfast that all classes would be cancelled and a visit to the town was guaranteed. No one was allowed to go anywhere after breakfast except to the front door to be marked off Mr. Filch's list. The students then piled into the carriages and rode to Hogsmeade. Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Ian parted when they arrived in the village. Ian had a date with a sixth year Ravenclaw named Janelle Winters. Luna and Neville were going out on their first official date. Luna had offered Ginny to come along with them, but the redhead didn't want to be a third wheel. The redhead decided to walk around the village by herself.

Something seemed off about Hogsmeade. It didn't hold the same kind of glimmer it usually did. The sky was a murky gray that seemed to dampen the moods of everyone. Ginny clenched her cloak closer to her to keep the warmth within. The redhead was alone as she walked down the stone walkways. Ginny wished that Harry were there with her. She hoped that he'd come up behind her and twirl her around. Then he would laugh and say he was there to stay with her forever. That what was holding him behind didn't matter anymore. That everything was going to be okay as long as they had each other.

She peered in several shops looking for Christmas gifts for her brothers, since she didn't know when she next would have a chance to shop for them. It was incredibly hard to shop for her brothers, due to the fact that they were boys. It was always harder shopping for boys than it was for girls.

Ginny had purchased several objects from Zonko's for Fred and George, knowing full well that the twins would work feverishly until they improved the items for their own shop. She had also purchased a Cannon's t-shirt and hat for Ron, hoping that she would see him at Christmas. She then purchased several miniature fire-breathing dragons for Charlie, hoping that he didn't already have those models in his collection. The redhead looked down at her bag of money to see it was considerably lighter. All the money that she had acquired since last Christmas was slowly disappearing, and she still needed to buy presents.

A loud bang sounded throughout the village. Ginny whipped around to see a jet of green shoot up into the sky. The emerald mist started to take the form of the Dark Mark. Shouting came from the direction of the Shrieking Shack. Students fled towards her with tears pouring down their fear stricken faces. Ginny reached a freckly hand into her cloak pocket and withdrew her wand. The girl shrunk her packages and placed them into her pockets.

Trying to make your way through a crowd of people running in the opposite way you are isn't an easy thing. A sickening feeling filled her body as the redhead pushed her way through the crowd to where the Dark Mark was gleaming in the gray sky. Ginny couldn't keep the creeping thought of Harry being in the fight out of her mind. She was convinced 'The Chosen One' was down there fighting. Ginny would be damned if she let anything happen to the boy she loved.

Another loud explosion filled the air as the Shrieking Shack collapsed into a pile of dust. With adrenaline running through every inch of her body, Ginny broke out in a run. She pushed people who were in her way. She fought to get towards where the fight was. In succession, four more building buckled in a pile of debris. It was then that Ginny saw bloody bodies of her fellow classmates lying dead on the cold ground. Dust filled the air; it was making it unbearable to see anything.

Flashes of lights blazed through the fog of dust. Spells were being cried and thumps were heard. Ginny saw several people fall to the ground. The redhead raised her wand and pointed it, but didn't utter a curse. Ginny didn't know which figures were Death Eaters and which ones were on the side of the light. A curse flew at Ginny and grazed her arm. Crimson swelled up and bleed on her robes.

"GET THE STUDENTS TO SAFETY!" a familiar voice shouted.

The fog started to slowly disperse, and the figures came into a clear view. Ginny pointed her wand at one of the masked Death Eaters and shouted a stunning spell. The figure went down like a ton of bricks. That's when Ginny saw _him_. Lord Voldemort was staring at her with piercing red eyes. He smirked and his wand rose into the air. The wand pointed at Ginny's chest, and she stood there immobilized. The Dark Lord's mouth moved and a ray of green light emitted from the wand. _I'm going to die,_ Ginny's mind thought frantically.

Just as the curse was flying towards her, a body launched itself at her and the two fell to the ground. Ginny's head was swimming, and she didn't know what was going on. She felt strong arms wrap themselves around her and drag her away from the fight. Ginny clung to the robes of the person who was helping her. Brown eyes wandered up to see a white mask covering the person's face. Ginny squirmed to get out of their reach, but the person tightened their grip on her.

"Lemme go!" Ginny cried. "Help!"

"Stop struggling," a cold male voice hissed.

Ginny froze. How many times had she heard that voice insult her before? How many times had she hexed him for being an utter git? Why was he – of all people – helping her? Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater, and he was disobeying his master. Ginny struggled against the seventeen-year-old's firm grasp.

"Let me go, Malfoy!"

"If you don't come with me, you're going to die!"

Ginny reached up a hand and pulled the white mask down from Malfoy's face. His pointed features were as pale as ever. His lips were a pallid pink. His gray eyes were cold. Malfoy didn't seem fazed by the fact his mask was lying on the floor. The blonde kept dragging the redhead away from the fight. Another explosion sounded from behind the two teenagers causing Malfoy to push Ginny to the ground.

A sea of dust filled the air as Malfoy covered as much of Ginny as he could with his body. Two more buildings blew up on either side of them. Malfoy stood up and grabbed Ginny to stand up. He then proceeded to drag her off towards Hogwarts. The two started coughing from the inhaling of wreckage.

"Why are you doing this?" Ginny asked as she still resisted.

"I'm saving your life!" Malfoy shot back.

"You're a Death Eater!" Ginny spat. "Why the hell do you care if I die?"

"I made a mistake!" Malfoy shouted. "I'm trying to make up for it!"

Ginny stomped her right foot onto Malfoy's toe. He grunted in pain and let go of her, which gave the redhead ample time to whip around and knee him in the crouch. The boy fell over in a heave of pain onto the dust filled street. Ginny's wand was nowhere to be seen, as she searched frantically around her it.

Another loud explosion sounded as three building went up in smoke before crumpling into the ground. Jets from wands started flying around Ginny. She flung herself at the ground so that she wouldn't be hit. She was wandless and therefore vulnerable to attack. The redhead knew she was going to die. She couldn't help but think about her funeral. Surely, Harry would hear about it and attend it – weeping over her icy, lifeless body.

A hand gripped Ginny's wrist and hauled her up, strong arms wrapped around her whole body. The Gryffindor didn't register who was helping her nor could she see. Tears were blinding her vision. Spells flew in every direction, but Ginny barely took notice of them. Her mind was so numb to everything happening around her.

The person who was holding her fell to the ground, causing Ginny to tumble with him. She blinked back several tears and looked into the wizard's wide, cold-looking eyes. Sturgis Podmore – member of the Order of the Phoenix – lay dead on the ground. The girl reached out a shaking hand and closed the eyes of the man. It was all too much.

"Weasley!" a voice filled with malice hissed.

Another person grabbed Ginny and dragged her away from the fight. The teenager turned to freeze in horror at the wizard who was helping her – or very well trying to kill her. Black, greasy hair was matted around his face. His eyes were colder than ever. It was the man who had killed Albus Dumbledore as though it was nothing. Severus Snape was hauling her away from the battle to do what? Torture her? Rape her? Kidnap her? Kill her?

"You!" Ginny hissed. "You bastard! Lemme go!"

Ginny Weasley tried to fight against the Death Eater's strong clutch, but found that her energy was completely drawn from her. She was tired and hurting. The cut on her arm was still bleeding profusely, and the redhead feared she would soon pass out from the blood loss. She tried to fight none the less, for Weasleys don't give up.

"Draco!" Snape hissed as he ignored Ginny. "Get her up to the castle."

Snape pushed Ginny into the arms of Malfoy. The castle? It was too good to hope. Surely, they weren't going to just save her life? No, they couldn't. They were ruthless, cruel Death Eaters who took pleasure in torment and slaughter. Several more explosions sounded as Malfoy half dragged/half carried Ginny closer towards the castle.

Ginny allowed the boy to take her away. Her vision was too blurry and her head too dizzy. Before she knew it, the two teenagers were at the entrance of Hogwarts. Malfoy tried to open the gate, but found it was locked. He cursed under his breath. The blonde then started shooting several spells at the chains, but found it was a futile attempt.

A silver mist emitted somewhere behind the two teens and dashed its way through the bars. The redhead turned her head – as a sharp pain shot through her whole body – to see that Snape was standing behind them with a very pale third year boy leaning up against his side.

Ginny's eyes drooped, but she fought to keep them open. The Gryffindor tried to speak to Snape, but found her throat oddly dry. Her whole body felt as though it were on fire. The redhead found the strength to ask, "What are you doing?" Snape turned towards her with a mild look of shock on his face, but it quickly left to be replaced with the usual sullen-looking face.

"Saving your life, Weasley," he answered coldly as he shot another silver mist from his wand.

"You're a murderer," Ginny hissed in a low voice. "You murdered Dumbledore."

"Potter didn't see what he thought he saw," Snape retorted bitterly. "His mind can't even begin to comprehend what he doesn't understand. Draco, leave her. We have to go. The Dementors should be arriving soon."

Ginny was placed gently on the ground as was the third year. Malfoy and Snape turned and dashed off towards the village. The Gryffindor crawled towards the smaller, bloodstained wizard. The boy looked up at Ginny with tears glistening in his eyes. The two Hogwarts students then embraced, both hoping that a professor would find them soon.

The lock to the gate clicked several times. Ginny turned to see Hagrid standing above them. She forced a small smile onto her face as the half giant swept down and pulled them both into his arms. Ginny winced in pain, but was grateful that she was going to be safely inside Hogwarts. The locks to the gates clicked into place once the three of them were in the grounds of the school.

"Hagrid…" Ginny wheezed. "Dementors are coming. The Dementors… Snape… Malfoy…."

"Yeh shhh," Hagrid instructed. "I need ter get yeh ter Madam Pomfrey."

Ginny vaguely remembered being laid down onto a stiff hospital bed and Madam Pomfrey forcing down goblets filled with nasty tasting liquid. It was then that her world had gone black. Nothing else seemed to matter as she slept peacefully for the first time since Harry had broken up with her. Her troubles and worries had slipped away into nothingness.

A slight buzz reached Ginny's ears as she forced her eyes open. The professors were huddled towards one corner whispering feverishly. Brown eyes wandered over towards the bed next to her to see that the pale third year was sleeping. With her head pounding, Ginny turned towards the other side to see Adrasteia Pomeroy resting peacefully. The Gryffindor strained her ears to hear what the professors were talking about, but there was that annoying buzzing blocking the voices.

"Ginny?" Professor Lupin asked as he stood above her bed with worry etched across his face. "Are you okay?"

Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but found that her throat was too dry. Having no other way to communicate, the redhead simply just nodded her head. Her brown eyes wandered over towards the other professors who were making their way to her bed. McGonagall led the small group. Following her were Hagrid, Flitwick, Dumbledore, Slughorn, and Pomfrey.

"Are you okay enough to answer some questions?" McGonagall asked.

"Throat," Ginny rasped, "hurt."

Madam Pomfrey rushed towards her office and came back seconds later with a goblet filled with white liquid. The matron basically shoved the contents down the girl's mouth. Ginny felt immediately better, her throat seemed not so dry or tight as it was before. The teenager smiled her thanks before turning to address the headmistress.

"Yes, but," Ginny started, "how is that boy?"

Ginny pointed to the third year that Snape had saved earlier. The adults turned their head simultaneously to look at the boy. Then they all turned back to Ginny with looks of bewilderment on their faces. It was as if they couldn't believe Ginny knew the boy or even cared about him.

"He- he was with me, you see," Ginny continued. "Hagrid saved us both by the gates."

"You mean Shane Nottingham?" McGonagall inquired. "He's fine. Who brought you and Mr. Nottingham to the castle gates?"

"This is going to sound crazy, but I swear to you I'm not lying," Ginny spoke as she looked pleadingly over at Remus. "Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was dragging me towards the castle. I fought with him, because I thought he was going to kill me or something. I attacked him basically, and got away. Then Snape – this is the weird part – Snape grabbed me and was dragging me. Then he threw me at Malfoy and told him to take me to the castle. Then when Malfoy and I arrived at the gates, we figured out they were locked. Then Snape comes up behind us with- with Shane and shoots this silvery stuff pass us-"

"Snape casted a Patronus," Remus explained. "It's how the Order communicates."

"I saw Snape's Patronus," Hagrid commented. "I was goin' ter murder him, but when I got there, Ginny and Shane were there. I took 'em in."

"Snape said that Dementors are coming," Ginny said frantically, just remembering. "The Dementors are coming! We gotta stop them!"

"They've already came and went," Flitwick told her. "You've been out for a whole day. Your parents were here earlier, but they just left about an hour ago to get some lunch. They'll be back soon."

"People- people died… Sturgis Podmore-"

"Yes, we found his body along with several others from the Order and Ministry," McGonagall announced as her face grew very grave. "A couple students have passed as well."

Ginny closed her eyes tightly at the thought of her fellow classmates dying. _Please not Luna, _Ginny thought feverishly, _Or Ian or Neville. _The redhead opened her eyes and looked up at Remus. Her eyes burned and itched with tears threatening to fall. The few students who were still attending Hogwarts would no doubt start being pulled from the castle. Hogwarts would most likely be closed down and abandoned.

The infirmary doors burst open to reveal Ginny's parents and her big brother Bill. Each of them had looks of relief on their faces when they saw the youngest Weasley awake and sitting up in bed talking to the professors. Molly pushed her way through the professors and pulled her only daughter into a bone-crushing hug.

"You're alright!" Molly cried. "I've been so worried!"

"Mum, please, need air!"

Molly pulled away from her daughter and sat back on the edge of the bed. Ginny's mother started fussing with the bed covers and pushing strands of hair out of her daughter's pale face. Arthur and Bill walked over with smiles on their faces. Bill clamped a hand on his baby sister's shoulder.

"Gave us quite a scare, Sis," Bill said fondly.

"I'm _fine_," Ginny stressed as her mother gave her a dubious look. "Seriously. I mean at least I'm not dead like some others."

"Ginny!" Molly cried. "Don't talk like that!"

"It's the truth!" the younger redhead protested. "Students died out there, Mum!"

"I _know_, Ginny, Merlin knows I know," Molly sighed.

"You don't know the half of it, Molly," McGonagall spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Arthur spoke for the first time since he arrived.

"Snape and Malfoy were the ones who brought Ginny to the castle," the headmistress said bitterly. "They were the ones who saved her and another boy."

"Snape?" Bill questioned. "Why would he save Ginny? He murdered Dumbledore, and I'm willing to bet my life he's not the only one who has met a sticky end because of Snape."

Something didn't make sense to Ginny or to anyone else in the room. Why would Snape and Malfoy – known Death Eaters – save the life of someone they hated? Ginny wracked her brain. What had Snape told her about Harry? He mentioned him, that was for sure.

"Snape… he talked about Harry," Ginny announced as all eyes turned towards her.

"What did he say?" Dumbledore spoke up from the back with his eyes narrowed.

"He- he talked about how- how Harry didn't see what he thought he saw or something like that. He was talking about Dumbledore's death and how Harry didn't understand what happened."

"That's suspicious," Remus declared with a pensive look on his face.

"Harry wouldn't lie," Hagrid interrupted. "Harry knew what he saw, and Snape's just trying ter get back in the Order ter spy."

"I'm not talking about Harry, Hagrid," Remus said firmly. "I know Harry wouldn't lie about anything, especially something like that. It's Snape's words that make me curious. I think he was trying to tell us something and found the perfect opportunity with Ginny. He aided in saving her life to send us a message."

"You think Snape's innocent, Lupin?" Dumbledore asked gruffly.

"I didn't say anything of the sort," Remus protested. "I was just suggesting that it seemed peculiar that's all.

Ginny slowly started to fall asleep again, and she started to tune out the voices around her. They were arguing about Snape and what his motives were. Sleep was coming to the redhead with open arms, so Ginny embraced it back.

Author's Notes – Wow! This was such a fun chapter to write. Please take a few seconds to leave a review; it will be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoyed!


	5. The Aftermath

Chapter Title – The Aftermath

Two days after the "Hogsmeade Massacre" as the _Daily Prophet_ dubbed it, Ginny was released from the hospital wing. The following week of classes had been cancelled due to the event. Lavender Brown was pulled from school while Ginny recovered in the hospital wing. As was Michael Corner, Susan Bones, and several students that Ginny didn't know. Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbott, and Ian Van Stantvoordt were in critical condition in St. Mungo's. Zacharias Smith, Emma Dobbs, Janelle Winters, and Dennis Creevey had all been killed along with others that Ginny didn't know personally.

Neville and Luna had found refuge in the basement of Honeydukes – the only part of the building that had survived the attack. Seamus Finnegan and Colin Creevey had also sought shelter in the basement. Shane Nottingham and Adrasteia Pomeroy had been released from the hospital the same day Ginny had.

Shane had taken to sitting next to the youngest Weasley at meal times and soon Ginny became a protector for the small boy. It was natural; everyone was shaken up by the whole ordeal. The professors had spent days working on the charms around the castle to make them stronger than ever. Parents had sent long letters to the children that remained at Hogwarts – sending words of comfort and joy that they had survived. Ginny had received letters from Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George about what had happened.

_Gins,_

_I didn't believe what I read in mum's letter. I was terrified when I read about the attack – of course, mum didn't tell me you were all right at the beginning of the letter. She had to write it in a postscript. I read all about it in the _Daily Prophet_ then. Imagine my surprise! One minute, I'm sitting at work drinking my morning coffee and thinking about the dragons, and the next I'm reading about the massacre! It's unbelievable. I still can't believe ole Mundungus died. I imagine he was doing illegal dealings that day. Karma always comes and bites you in the arse._

_Love from your second favorite brother, _

_Charlie_

Ginny had smiled at her brother's letter. Every since Ginny was little, she clung to Bill and sought him out as her protector. Fred and George have teased her about Bill being her favorite brother. Perhaps, he was. Ginny loved all of her brothers for different reasons, but Bill was always there to protect her from the twin's little experiments.

_Ickle Ginnykins,_

_We got a visit from mum after she had visited you at Hogwarts after the HOGSMEADE MASSACRE, and she came in crying her eyes out over you. We had thought you had died, but than again, we would be all too lucky, so sad that our little sister is such a nuisance. Now, don't go crying to mum saying that Forge and Gred are picking on you, because we aren't. You know we love you and would be devastated if anything happened to you. You're made of tougher stuff than any other Weasley._

_Nothing but torment,_

_Fred and George_

_George and Fred_

The twins could always crack a joke even after horrible events. It made her smile to see her brothers were so concerned about her, but weren't scolding her like her mother had been. Molly had read in the _Daily Prophet_ no less that Ginny had been running towards the battle. There was a reporter hidden in a dustbin watching the whole battle, apparently, which was a stupid thing to do. Percy had scolded her as well, but Ginny didn't understand where that boy got off. He had barely spoken to her in two years, but he sent her a letter to tell her how disappointed he was in her.

_Ginerva,_

_I had heard all about Hogsmeade, but then again who hasn't? I must say that when I read about you running towards the battle to fight, I was highly worried and angry to hear so. I guess that Harry Potter has rubbed off on you as well – seeing as he has rubbed off on Ronald. I'm very disappointed to have heard that Ronald had run off with Potter and Hermione Granger. Does he not care about finishing school? I am glad that you have decided to stay, but I'm awfully worried about you. I heard father saying that Potter has been courting my little sister. I overheard him talk about William and Fleur Delacour's wedding that you had been very close to the Potter child. I must warn you that Potter is highly dangerous and not quite right in the mind. I ask you to please put aside your childish infatuation with him and see that he is nothing but trouble. He will only get you killed, Ginny, and I don't know if I could stomach that. We haven't talked in awhile, but you should know that I still love you. You are my only sister, of course. I know Ronald, Charles, William, Fredrick, George, mother, and father may be so pleased that Potter has returned your feelings, but I am not. You are not a child anymore, Ginny. You are sixteen years old, and you should start acting like it. Make responsible decisions and sever all ties with Harry Potter before you end up dead like his good-for-nothing godfather. I don't want to attend your funeral, but I fear that I will if this courtship with Potter doesn't end now._

_Sincerely,_

_Percy_

Ginny sat next to Neville at dinner in the sparse Great Hall. There were about a fourth of the students still left at Hogwarts. It was sad to see the castle look so empty. It no longer held the laughter of teenagers or the spirit of life. It was dreary like an old abandoned building. The redhead looked around for familiar faces, but found that she barely knew anyone at Hogwarts anymore. Those who were left were merely just people Ginny had seen walk down the hallways.

"Where's Colin?" Ginny inquired.

"He left on the train this morning," Neville explained, "to attend his brother's funeral."

"Is he coming back?"

"No idea."

That was where the conversation had ended. It was like no one wanted to speak anymore. It hurt to do so. So many people had died in Hogsmeade, and the death had been carried back to Hogwarts. Even the rambunctious first years were withdrawn and miserable. Ginny excused herself, not feeling like eating. Ginny intended to do some homework for once in the library.

The library had an eerie silence to it. Madam Pince was nowhere to be seen. It was completely deserted. Ginny walked down the aisles of books before coming to a table in the very back of the library. The Gryffindor threw her satchel onto the table and plopped down on a stiff chair. Pulling her Arithmancy book from her bag, a body sat down next to her.

Adrasteia Pomeroy looked ill and her eyes were illuminated in the pale lights of the library. Her elegant fingers held a newspaper. The Slytherin slid it over towards Ginny with a blank look on her face. The redhead snatched up the newspaper to see that it was the latest edition. On the front page was a picture of a destroyed Hogsmeade. In huge, bold letters read the heading "**HOGSMEADE MASSACRE: WHAT THE MINISTRY KNEW AND THE SECURITY MEASURES – OR LACK THERE OF"**.

"Why did you give me this?" Ginny inquired as her blood ran cold.

"You are talked about in it, as is your father," the Slytherin replied aloofly. "Read it, Ginerva."

_'Was it a coincidence that the same day the Hogwarts students had a visit to Hogsmeade Village was the exact day that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters annihilated the village? New reports have come to light that the Ministry of Magic – under the not so watchful eye of newly appointed Minister Rufus Scrimgeour – had known about the attack. Should we trust a Ministry that has put the lives of innocent children at risk? Some say that Scrimgeour was going to be a better minister than his predecessor Cornelius Fudge, but it seems as though both ministers are keen to keep the public in the dark._

_"We knew it was only a matter of time before he started striking the towns," Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, 58, had announced at a press conference about the situation. "We didn't know when he would strike, but we knew when he did… all hell was going to break loose."_

_If the Ministry had known that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was going to strike once and strike hard, then why wasn't security tightened? Why were there only a handful of Aurors and Law Enforcement Agents stationed at Hogsmeade while there were a couple hundred stationed all over Diagon Alley. Did Minister Scrimgeour think that the village wasn't as important as the alley?_

_Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, Amos Diggory, 61, had stated, "There should have been tighter security at Hogwarts and around Hogwarts. Everyone likes to believe it's the safest place in Britain right now; but let's face it, it's simply not. Ever since the Triwizard Tournament, we had students dying. Now with the untimely demise of Albus Dumbledore – it's just foolish not protect the children as much as we can. They are the innocents in all of this. They didn't ask for it. It's our generation's war. It started when we were young, so we mustn't drag the younger generation into it."_

_Diggory's own son, Cedric, had died at the age of seventeen during the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. The death toll of students who died at the Hogsmeade Massacre came to a whopping 35 – all of them were ages thirteen to eighteen. There was a ground total of eleven students who had been hospitalized in St. Mungo's for critical injuries, and a total five students who had been only slightly injured in the attack – all of who are out of the infirmary at Hogwarts._

_Some have asked where Harry Potter has been this year at Hogwarts, and rumors have been that he never showed up. Where is our hero when we need him the most? Did he simply split due to the pressure? It is reported though that several others have taken to playing hero at Hogwarts in his place. Neville Longbottom, 17, had safely hid fifteen people in a basement in Honeydukes – all of which survived the attack due to his quick thinking. Ginerva Weasley, 16, had run towards the battle to fight with the Aurors – she has just been released from the hospital in Hogwarts. The students of Hogwarts seem to have banded together to fight the dark forces that are emerging with courage._

_The Head of the Office for Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Office, Arthur Weasley, 47, the father of Ginerva Weasley, had stated, "We're doing a lot better under the guidance of Minister Scrimgeour. He's really trying his hardest to protect Wizards as well as Muggles alike. I know he's been getting a lot of heat after what happened in Hogsmeade – I mean, every parent who has children there is really irate – but you have to keep in mind that the minister is trying to protect all of Britain at once, and it's not an easy job."_

_We must all ask ourselves is it worth the lives of our children to be residing at Hogwarts. In the last four years, 36 students have been murdered, a professor, and a headmaster. Hogwarts should be shut down until the war has come to a halt, or I fear we all will be reading about more students' deaths._

Ginny read the article and looked up at Adrasteia. There was a look on the Slytherin's face that unnerved the Gryffindor, but she didn't comment on it. Ginny's eyes wandered back to the _Daily Prophet_ to reread the small paragraph about herself and Harry. They made Harry out to be some sort of deserter, and that's not what he was. If they knew the truth of what he was doing – if they even cared – they wouldn't be making it seem like he ran away as if it were too much pressure.

"It has started, Ginerva, just like I said it would. You are running blindly into fights that you should not have because of Harry Potter."

Before Ginny could open her mouth to retort, the Slytherin had disappeared as though out of thin air. The redhead folded up the newspaper and placed it into her bag with a sigh of exhaustion. _Stupid ministry,_ Ginny thought bitterly, _stupid reporters_. The Gryffindor pulled out some parchment, quill, and ink to begin writing up her homework when she heard rustling coming from behind her. Cautiously, Ginny reached down and grabbed her wand from her pocket. She whipped around and pointed her wand at a spot of air. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Ginny turned back to the desk when something grabbed.

Thoughts of what happened at Hogsmeade filled her head. She could remember Draco Malfoy dragging her roughly towards the castle. She could feel Snape touching her. The wound on her arm burned with an intense fire. Ginny let out a strangled sob.

"Shh, it's okay," a very familiar spoke soothingly, "it's me. Harry."

Ginny whipped around so fast that she became dizzy. There stood Harry Potter with his Invisibility Cloak draped across his shoulders. His emerald eyes were wide with concern. His raven hair looked greasy and was matted down on his head. His face was ghastly pale and thin. It looked as though he hadn't shaven, since there was a 5 o'clock shadow resting on his lower face. His fingers were bony and sharp against her smooth skin. He looked awful – ill in fact. There was a gash on his right temple with dried up blood forming a crust around it.

"Harry?" Ginny asked in disbelief as he gave her a forced smile.

"Yeah," he said in a hoarse voice.

"What happened to you?"

"Err –" Harry began as he looked uncertain, "you see, I had sort of a run-in with Fenrir Greyback and his lackeys. Nothing too big, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine!" Ginny protested.

Her fingers reached up and gently brushed around the cut on his temple. Harry winced in pain when her fingers got too close to it. Ginny's freckly hand pulled back quickly and soon rested on the side of the boy's face. He leaned into her warmth, and it seemed to comfort him.

"I've missed you," he whispered with a yearning in his voice. "I've missed the way you feel against me."

Ginny blushed crimson at the statement. Her other hand found its way onto Harry's shoulder. It was as though that was an invitation for the boy. Harry had wrapped his arms around the girl's tiny waist and pulled her as close to his body as he could. Their bodies seem to fit together perfectly, and it felt so right.

The redhead leaned her head back slightly to look her love in the face. There were bags residing under his eyes. His lips were so pallid that they looked almost white. Ginny drew her face closer to his. It was then that Ginny saw that Harry had a small freckle on the side of his nose. She reached up a pale finger and touched it gently – she had never noticed it before.

"I read about Hogsmeade," Harry murmured. "I read all about how you went into the battle –"

"I thought you were there…" Ginny trailed off as tears stung her eyes. "I – I wanted to help you."

"I wasn't there," he sighed guiltily, "I was in Wales. I thought I told you that."

"You did," she whispered, "but I hadn't talked to you in awhile, and I got so worried."

"I told you when I'm out getting a Horcrux we couldn't communicate," Harry replied. "You know it would be too dangerous."

Ginny moved her face closer to Harry's. Their cheeks brushed up against each other as a spurt of electricity shot through their bodies. Harry tightened his grip around her waist. A single tear rolled off Ginny's long eyelashes. It cascaded down her face until it took a turn and collided with Harry's course face.

"I've missed you so much," Ginny choked out the words. "It hurts so much without you."

It was true. Every day it felt as though Ginny was losing a part of herself. It felt as though her heart was slowly being ripped out of her body. It felt like parasites were eating away at her body, as if worms were crawling around her insides. It hurt so much that Ginny could no longer sleep or concentrate on schoolwork. All she did was think about Harry, wishing him to come back to her. This moment with Harry didn't even seem real. It felt like a dream that she never wanted to wake up from.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered with guilt lacing his words. "I never wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Ginny said sternly as she pulled back from his body. "You know that you wouldn't have been happy if you weren't searching for _him_."

"I've caused you so much pain –"

"No… being away from you causes me pain. I miss you so much, Harry. I'm so glad you're here now, with me."

"I won't be for much longer," Harry said regretfully. "I just wanted to check on you – make sure you were okay. I need to get back to Ron and Hermione. We need to get back to Wales to get that Horcrux."

"Stay the night," Ginny's voice was hopeful. "Just one night… stay with me."

Harry looked torn. His hand ran up her side, dragging the fabric of her shirt with it. Their eyes, which held so much pain, searched each other. Harry drew his face closer to hers and their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. Ginny moaned with pleasure as forced her lips to close tighter around his. Before she knew what happened, Harry had pushed her roughly against a bookshelf, several books went tumbling to the ground with dull _thumps_.

Their mouths searched each other's as pure bliss filled them. Ginny's hands found their way to Harry's hair, which was sticky against her hands. Pulling a hand back, her eyes opening to look past Harry, Ginny noticed that her hands were covered in a red substance. The redhead placed her hands on the boy's shoulders and pushed him back.

"You're injured," she gasped her breath.

He looked at her oddly before Ginny showed him her hands, which were trembling and scarlet. Harry reached a hand to the back of his head and withdrew it to see blood covering his pale skin. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Ginny stated as she grasped her hand with his. "We can go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, no one will be there."

Harry seemed hesitate for several seconds. He soon gave in and let Ginny pull his out of the library. The boy reached into his pant pocket and pulled out the Marauder's Map, which was activated. They watched out for students and professors, because if they ran into anyone they would have a hell of a time explaining what was going on.

They reached the bathroom, only having to change course once because of Filch. Ginny had locked the bathroom door and placed a silencing charm around it. Ginny's heels clicked on the tile floors as she walked around the sinks to the shower facilities. Harry stood outside a shower stall as he tugged his shirt off. The redhead's eyes glanced at his chest, which was littered in what looked like claw marks. Harry saw her looking and immediately blushed.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he discarded the shirt.

"Are those from Greyback?" Ginny asked when she was very much aware that her face had turned the color of her hair.

"Yeah," Harry spoke softly, "they don't hurt anymore or anything. Hermione did some nice healing charms on them. It'll probably scar, because it was done with nails. Then again, I'm well accustomed to scars, so it doesn't matter."

"How did you run into Greyback?"

Harry sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted and sad. Ginny noticed his ribs were sticking out of his chest; it was sickening. The boy let out another sigh as his eyes searched Ginny. She waited patiently for if she learned one thing about Harry Potter; it was that you needed to be unnaturally patient with him.

"Ron and I both wanted to come here to see if you were okay. Hermione didn't want to, because she knew you were okay and she said we had more important things to do," Harry started. "Ron and I dragged her – now don't get me wrong, Hermione was worried about you, but you're name wasn't listed in the list of the eighty some who had died in the _Daily Prophet_. Anyways, we were making a train to get to London – Hermione wanted to double back a bit because we had Death Eaters hot on our tail in Wales. They could track us if we Apparated too closely to them. Last thing we wanted to do was get more Death Eaters at Hogwarts."

Ginny nodded as she listed avidly to Harry's tail. He had sat down on the tile floor and leaned up against the shower door. The redhead had made her way over towards Harry as he talked and sat down next to him. Their hands intertwined. Ginny have a small squeeze to encourage Harry to continue.

"Greyback and several other werewolves were on the train. Voldemort wanted Greyback to track us to see what we were up to I guess," Harry sighed tiredly. "You know Greyback though – there were too many young people on the train. He couldn't help being in such a closed space with so many people. There was this eight-year-old Muggle girl… she had blonde hair and it was pulled back in pigtails. She looked adorable. She sat close to us with her father, I think. We didn't know Greyback was on the train until it was too late. He came rushing towards the little girl and ripped her throat out."

Ginny's eyes closed tightly at the image as tears sprung to her eyes. Her hands tightened around Harry's. She heard him take a deep, shaky breath. She heard him sniff as his had rested gently on top of hers.

"Everyone was screaming. Muggles were running in every direction. Greyback had the girl's blood all over his face," Harry spoke as he choked back a sob. "The other werewolves started attacking everyone on the train. We – we tried to stun them, to stop them, but they were too powerful. It was like the spells didn't even affect them. I – I did that spell I did on Malfoy last year, the one that cut him up. I shot it at a werewolf that had pinned a little boy to the floor. Greyback was infuriated. He turned towards me and attacked. He bashed my head against the window of the train – glass went flying everywhere. He ripped upon my shirt and gave me the scratches."

Ginny felt hot tears drip on her head. Harry was crying. She had never seen him cry before or ever heard of him crying before. She wanted to hug him and take away all the pain, but she knew she couldn't. There was nothing that she could do to take away that horrible memory.

"Hermione was screaming… one of the werewolves had knocked Ron unconscious. She was so furious. She sent this spell at Greyback. He flew away from me and crashed into a window on the opposite side of the train. That only made the werewolves more agitated, because Greyback was their leader. I don't really remember what happened next, because I passed out. I just know I woke up in a dingy motel room next to Ron. Hermione was asleep in the chair. I saw Ron mutter in his sleep, so I figured he was fine. I left a note that I was coming here and then left. They should still be there since Ron was in no condition to travel."

"It must have been horrible," Ginny whispered, well aware that she too was crying.

"I never want to see anything like that again," Harry whispered.

"No one would…"

The two sat there for a good hour in each other's arms just trying to forget the pain of the war. It was then that Harry had showered and shaved. After that, the two made their way to the Room of Requirements to get a good night sleep. Ginny knew she blushed when she walked into the hidden room to see a huge king sized canopy bed resting in the middle of the room. Harry had crawled under the covers in only his boxers, which made Ginny blush even more.

The smallest Weasley had taken off her shoes and robes. She was merely in a worn t-shirt and frayed jeans. She slipped under the covers next to Harry. As soon as she was situated, Harry had draped an arm across her stomach and pulled her closer to him. Ginny's fingers brushed across the boy's bare arm, feeling his hair tickle her fingertips. Harry's breathing seemed so calm at the small affection and soon he was fast asleep. He looked so relaxed and peaceful as he slept – so childish. It warmed Ginny's heart.

The teenage girl drew her face close to his and kissed him gently on his eyelid. He didn't stir awake, but he moaned in satisfaction. This was something Ginny had always wanted – to be in the arms of Harry Potter and kiss him while he slept. It was as though all their troubles seemed to wash away as they laid together in the Room of Requirements. It seemed flawless and oh so right.

Ginny leaned her lips close to his and kiss him gently. When she pulled back, she saw the boy smile in his sleep. The redhead closed her eyes and gave a sigh of relief. She snuggled closer to him and let sleep come to her. She had slept through the night, not waking up once. She didn't have any nightmares about Harry dying or Tom Riddle possessing her body and making her open the chamber. It was perfect.

Author's Notes – So much Ginny/Harry fluff. I love them as a couple. I really wish I could write a good adventure story, so that I can write Harry and his search for the Horcruxes – that ties with this story. However, I suck at writing adventure so you're just stuck reading Ginny's POV. I do ask that if you had time to read this chapter, then you take the time to review it as well. It's only fair because I work so hard on it– don't you think? Review replies can be found at my livejournal for the following people: famousindafuture, LuthienGranger2004, heather1021, Serenity Meowth, luvguurl, Stay-c, and Jeez. Thanks to everyone else who reviewed to simply say they liked the story.


	6. The Lockdown

Chapter Title – The Lockdown

Ginny Weasley woke up feeling that everything was right in the world. Her eyes were still closed, but a smile spread elegantly across her face. Snuggling down farther into the warm covers caused the redhead moan contently. One freckled hand groped behind her to pull Harry Potter closer to her, but found that no one was there. _Was it a dream?_ Ginny thought with a sinking feeling filling the pit of her stomach.

Whipping around, Ginny saw that nobody was lying next to her. The Gryffindor's heart sank. It felt damaged and broken. Ginny reached a hand onto the mattress, which was indented where Harry's body had lain. She moved her head closer to the sheets and took in a whiff of the boy's scent – that oddly smelled of shampoo, pine, and blood.

She could still feel his body against her. It was comforting. Ginny closed her eyes and sighed heavily. It was unbelievable that Harry had been next to her all night long. His body had been pressed against hers. Their heat had been intertwined. They were one and would forever be that way. They weren't just Ginny and just Harry – they were Ginny and Harry.

Opening her brown eyes, Ginny looked for an indication that Harry was still in the Room of Requirements. It was then that her gaze had landed on a pillow where a single pink rose rested on top of a letter. The redhead grabbed the rose and sniffed it. It tingled under her fingertips for Harry had held it where her hand was now. With her free hand, Ginny had picked up the letter and read:

_My Beloved Ginny,_

_I sit here on the bed in the Room of Requirements watching you sleep. If you would have told me last year when my crush for you started to emerge that I would be sharing a bed with you, I would have laughed and called you crazy. Then again, it seems like a lot of things that had once seemed crazy don't seem so crazy after all._

_I remember when I was younger, I would always hope that some long lost relative would come and take me away from the Dursleys. Then years later, my long lost godfather comes into my life. It's really ironic. It's like whenever I want something so badly, I get it only to lose it again. I don't want to lose you like I lost my parents and Sirius. I'm so afraid I'll give some stupid remark, and you'll be out of my life forever. I'm so afraid Voldemort will find you and murder you. I can't help but think these things – no matter how morbid they are._

_I'm leaving right after I finish this. I need to get back to the motel before Hermione starts having kittens over me. I'm sure she wants to make sure there was no lasting damages because Greyback's a werewolf. I already feel like I'm drooling more than usual, but I don't know if that has anything to do with a werewolf attacking me. I wish I could talk to Bill and ask him what's different about him now. Lupin said there would be some werewolf side effects with Bill so there must be with me._

_I'll contact you again once we've destroyed the second Horcrux. I'll send an owl to you, and then we can talk through the mirrors. I can't believe I forgot to ask you about R.A.B. Listen, Hermione was thinking that maybe R.A.B. isn't even the person's initials. Maybe there is an acronym or a nickname to it. I'm not exactly sure what she was going on about, it was a couple weeks ago. Thanks for all your help, Gins._

_Much love,_

_Harry_

Ginny felt a smile spread across her lips. Harry had left her a note and a rose. She reread the note as she clenched the rose tightly in her hand. There were no thorns on the flower for Harry had apparently gotten rid of them. Folding the letter neatly and sliding it into her pocket, the Gryffindor turned to see that it was already half past eleven in the morning.

The Gryffindor made her way down to the Great Hall in the same clothes she had worn all day yesterday. Her hair was a mess and her garments twisted around her small frame. She didn't care about her appearance though, nor did she really notice it. Her mind was wandering all over the place, thinking of hundreds of different things. It was amazing how many things one person could think about at once.

Ginny walked into the Great Hall to see that everyone was assembled there. She felt oddly strange walking into the dining hall and having all eyes on her. The four house tables were replaced with one single table with all students sitting there. She watched as several professors gave sighs of relief when they saw her. Ginny scanned those at the head table until she saw Remus Lupin, who looked very pale but very relieved.

"Miss Weasley," the headmistress's stern voice broke Ginny's thoughts, "would you care to indulge us in where you have been and why you are so late to this meeting?"

"I – uh…" she stumbled in reply, "I didn't stay in Gryffindor Tower last night, so I didn't know we were supposed to be here."

"Where were you?"

Ginny looked pleadingly over at Remus. He silently shook his head 'no'. It was then that the Gryffindor knew he wouldn't help her out of the hole she had dug. Ginny wanted to scream and let out all of her frustration, but she knew it wouldn't help the situation. She heard Flitwick excuse himself to go inform the Aurors that Ginny was safely in Hogwarts. The guilt was overwhelming as she watched the tiny Charms professor exit the Great Hall.

"With someone… who doesn't attend Hogwarts anymore," the redhead replied cryptically with a meaningful look in Remus's direction.

"Ginny, sit down with your fellow peers," Remus spoke kindly.

The girl walked towards the table and sat down in-between Luna Lovegood and Demelza Robins. Everyone looked tense and uncomfortable. Ginny saw that Luna and Neville were tightly holding hands under the table. Pansy Parkinson looked like a wreck – her face puffy and red with tears spilling down them. With Malfoy and Zabini gone, Parkinson seemed to have fallen apart.

"McGonagall just cancelled the Quidditch season," Demelza whispered sadly.

Ginny turned her head to her fellow Chaser. She had lost her captainship even before she started. Then again, it wasn't because she was incompetent. It was probably the fact that only a fourth of the school remain, but that was only for the time being. Who knew how many more students would be pulled out of Hogwarts or murdered? There was a war raging, not a picnic.

"Why are we all assembled?" Ginny inquired.

"After what happened at Hogsmeade, the professors want to go over the new safety precautions," Demelza replied.

Ginny turned her attention away from her fellow Gryffindor to look up at the head table. They all seemed so tense and anxious. Remus looked pensive as he stared off into space. He had apparently picked up the fact that Ginny had indirectly told him that she had seen Harry. Ginny knew that the professor would press her for details on the situation, but she didn't know if she wanted to be so forthcoming about what had transpired.

"I will do a short recap for Miss Weasley," the headmistress spoke idly. "All classes that take place outside of the castle – Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and Flying – will now be taught within the castle walls. The grounds of Hogwarts are off limits to all students. The castle is and will stay in a lockdown status for the time being. No one will be able to enter or leave the castle unless they have been prearranged."

"No one's allowed to leave?" questioned Ginny with a slight panic in her voice.

Was Harry trapped within the castle? Did he leave before the lockdown had been put in effect? Was there a way out of the castle that only he knew? Ginny's mind went crazy. Why hadn't the lockdown been in effect since the attack on Hogsmeade and why were they putting it into effect now? Was the castle in more danger than originally expected?

"Curfew is now at eight o'clock. Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl are the only ones who are allowed to be out after curfew – as long as they are patrolling the corridors. Those who are occupied by a professor after hours will be acceptable. Those who are alone will be punished severely," McGonagall continued her speech. "These are serious measures because these are serious times. Every single one of you needs to understand the dire consequences on what could happen if you are not extremely careful. I do not want to see one more student fall to _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_ or his Death Eaters."

Speeches from all professors had continued for nearly three more hours. Flying was to take place in the Great Hall – though that only applied to the first years. Care of Magical Creatures was to take place on the first floor. Herbology was going to take place right next to the Potion classroom – which was convenient for both Slughorn and Sprout. They had agreed to work together on several occasions due to the fact that Potions and Herbology were closely related.

Ginny had only half listened to what her professors were saying. Her mind kept wandering to think of a million different things. The redhead decided that she was going to owl her oldest brother and ask him what changes he noticed since his run in with Fenrir Greyback. Most likely the side effects that Bill felt would be the exact ones that Harry felt – or so Ginny had deliberated. It only made sense since they were both attack by the same werewolf with more or less the same wounds. Harry had been less injured than Bill, so the effects would essentially be less.

The young witch then thought about what Christmas would be like. Would Harry, Ron, and Hermione come home for the celebration? If they did, then they would probably never be able to leave again since Ginny's parents would be very intent on keeping tabs on the trio. Would Percy come home for five minutes only to leave again? Ginny hoped not. Out of all of her brothers, Percy was the one that she really didn't care for. Would Charlie come back from Romania? Especially in the light of all that has happened? Would it just be Ginny, the twins, Bill, Fleur, and her parents? Most likely Molly Weasley would cry over the Christmas turkey as she stared at the family clock with all hands pointed at 'mortal peril'.

After the speeches had finished, a late lunch was served. The students were then sent on their way with the knowledge that classes would start up again the next day. Ginny was about to walk with Luna and Neville to the library to do some homework when Remus had called her back. The redhead waved at her two friends as she sat back down in the Great Hall.

"Let's take this to my room," whispered Remus.

Remus and Ginny walked through the corridors until they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The two walked towards the front of the room and turned to enter the small office off the classroom. Remus took a seat behind his desk while rubbing his forehead. Ginny took a seat across from him as she tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Harry was here?" he asked after several minutes of silence.

"Yes," Ginny replied, "he wanted to see if I was all right after the attack on Hogsmeade."

"He, Ron, and Hermione are fine then?"

"Peachy," the redhead replied.

Remus gave his student a calculating look as though he didn't believe what she had said. The werewolf didn't push it though; he just buried his head in his hands. He was clearly exhausted and was failing miserably to try to hide it. Ginny watched her professor closely as a spur of inspiration came to mind.

"Remus?" she asked timidly.

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to ask you about Bill's err… condition."

This caught the wizard's attention. He unburied his head from his hands and looked at the redhead suspiciously. It looked as though he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. The werewolf nodded his head as an indicator for the girl to continue.

"You said last year that Bill was contaminated with the werewolf virus or whatever –"

"Lycanthropy," Remus interrupted, "is the technical name. It mainly passes through by bite or scratch when the person is in the wolf form. It can be transmitted other ways as well. Werewolves are not allowed by law to have sexual intercourse, because if a woman gets pregnant – either by a werewolf or is a werewolf herself – there's a 95 chance that the child will be a werewolf as well. Being pregnant with a werewolf child will most likely kill the mother and the baby."

"Has there ever been a successful werewolf baby born?"

"Yes, there has been – a small percentage, mind you. However, the werewolf who contaminated the child is killed," Remus spoke softly as he watched Ginny's reactions very closely. "There are very strict laws about that sort of thing. If anyone in the Ministry found out that I had impregnated Tonks… I would be killed. We were so careless…"

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered, as she didn't know how else to reply to it.

"No need to be," Remus's voice cracked. "What about Bill? What did you want to ask?"

"Oh right," she uttered, forgetting what she wanted to ask, "well, you said that Bill would have wolfish characteristics. I haven't seen any, so I was wondering if maybe you were wrong – I mean –"

"I understand," Remus interrupted. "I suppose that you wouldn't notice them, but Bill certainly does. I have talked to him privately on several occasions about it. His senses are heightened. He can see farther than he has ever been able to before. He can hear the slightest noises that most would not be able to. He can smell the softest senses. He told me that Fleur had somehow cut her finger, and he could smell the blood two rooms away. He has grown more hair on his body. If you look closely at his arms and hands the next time you see him, you will notice that they are very hairy. His temper is shortened when the full moon approaches, and he can feel a change in his body."

"So, basically, he's all right? It's just minor things."

Remus hesitated for several seconds. His eyes were narrowed slightly. There was a notion of suspicion on his face. Ginny knew that Remus was trying to read her, but she wouldn't look him in the eye. Her brown eyes wandered towards the right to look at shelf behind the desk with two pictures residing neatly on top. The Gryffindor had never noticed them before.

The one to the left was a picture of four boys – around the age of 17 or 18 – huddled together with their arms around each other. One boy had light hair and a chubby face. His eyes were small and watery. Next to him was a smaller boy with a mop of sandy hair. His face was drawn and dark circles rested under his amber eyes, but the boy was smiling widely. The next boy looked remarkably like Harry. His hair was a jet black. Round glasses were perched up on his nose. His eyes were a soft hazel that sparkled. The last boy in the picture was the tallest of them all. His black hair fell elegantly into the boy's pale eyes. The boy's eyebrows wiggled mischievously. It was then that the last boy bent down and kissed the bespectacled boy on the cheek. The messy-haired teenager made a face of disgust and slapped the other boy's face away. It was then that Ginny had realized that the four boys were Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius Black.

The next picture was of two people. A younger, sandy-haired Remus Lupin sat on a huge green couch. Next to him sat a redheaded woman with sparkling green eyes. There was an impish smile on her face. She whispered something into the boy's ear that made him blush scarlet. The redhead laughed then and smacked the picture Remus in the arm. Ginny stared at the woman for several minutes before she realized it was Harry's mum – Lily. Who else could have such dazzling eyes?

Ginny stared at the pictures and was unaware that a smile had crept up on her face. She didn't notice that her professor was now staring at her, nor did she really care. It was amazing to see Harry's parents. She had pictured them before, but she had never pictured Lily quite like she actually was. Ginny had envisioned a tall blonde with swimming blue eyes. She had not thought of a short redhead littered in freckled. Lily's appearance had reminded Ginny of herself in a way.

"She's a lot like you, you know," Remus whispered.

"Who?" Ginny asked even though she knew the answer.

"Lily – Harry's mother."

"Oh," was all she could say.

"She was very fiery, very cheeky. She was amazing, truly. She had a way with words," Remus sighed. "Everyone who met her immediately liked her – even the Slytherins. Well, maybe 'like' is the wrong word. They respected her. She was fair to everyone and treated people how they acted. She was a hypocrite too. She used to yell at James – Harry's dad – for being arrogant and saying stupid things all the time. Lily was just like that. She always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and she loved to be the center of attention. She had a very nasty temper."

"That doesn't sound like me at all," Ginny replied.

"People like you Ginny, right when they meet you. I remember the first time you walked into my classroom at the age of twelve and cursed very loudly when you made a mistake – I instantly thought, 'I like that kid'," Remus chuckled. "I have heard Slytherins talk very highly of you. I bet they don't even try to mess with you."

"Draco Malfoy."

"Ah, yes, but I bet he doesn't bother you as much as he bothers Harry and Ron," Remus mused. "I also bet he is the only person who has ever bothered you."

Ginny thought for a couple minutes. Remus was right. Draco Malfoy was the only person who had ever bothered her at school – and that was only three times. Cormac McLaggen had bothered her on the Quidditch Pitch, but that really wasn't teasing or anything. He was just playing a game to win. Then her brothers teased her, but that's what all brothers did.

"Okay, so I guess you're right."

"You're also very cheeky," the professor continued. "I've heard you mouth off quite a few times. I also hear about your infamous temper – I guess you got that from your mother. I heard about how you had rammed your broom into the commentary booth after a Quidditch match."

"He deserved that! And you should just hope that you never have to hear my mum scream like a banshee!" Ginny proclaimed as Remus chuckled.

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so interested in what happened to Bill all of a sudden?"

_Wow_, Ginny thought, _he sure does know how to change subjects_. The redhead thought for several seconds as she silently debated what to say. Brown eyes wandered down to her feet so that her professor couldn't read her. What was she supposed to say? That Greyback had attacked Harry? She couldn't!

"He's my brother… I'm just concerned."

"Don't lie, Ginny," Remus said. "You may be able to lie easily to other people, but you can't lie to someone who is well diverse in Occlumency."

"Remus, I'm not lying –"

"Was Harry hurt? Or Ron? Or Hermione? Are they okay?"

Ginny's heart sped up. No, she won't tell him anything. She couldn't. The Gryffindor tried so hard not to look at her professor, but she could feel his eyes burning into her. If one of them were hurt, then it would be utterly different. She would tell Remus. The fact of the matter was that none of them were hurt that badly.

"If one of them was hurt by a werewolf, then they _need_ medical attention. If one of them is contaminated then there is something foreign in the body," Remus explained. "Bill needed medical attention, and if he didn't, he would have been more damaged than he would have been."

"Even if one of them was," Ginny began, "I don't know where they are, and I can't contact them without putting their lives in danger."

"Why do you think an owl would put them in danger? Are they being followed?" Remus questioned even though it seemed like he already knew the answer.

"They're bound to be."

Remus reached into his desk and pulled out a newspaper. He tossed it over towards Ginny. The headline read: **"CARDIFF TO LONDON TRAIN ATTACKED"**.The paper – which was a few days old – was a muggle one based on the fact that the picture under the headline wasn't moving. The picture was slightly blurry, but the people could be made out. Harry Potter was on the front with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. His wand was dangling loosely in his right hand. Behind him was a small boy with tears spilling down his face.

"A muggle train was attacked by 'ravenous monsters' as the paper put it," Remus spoke. "A muggle businessman had a camera with him, and he took several pictures discreetly on the train. He was murdered, but the muggle law enforcers found the camera and had the pictures developed. The article is continued on another page with a picture of Baal Masters – a werewolf, one in Greyback's league."

"It was Harry," Ginny sighed as she threw that paper onto the desk. "Greyback attacked him. He only has a few scrapes across his chest."

"Did he get medical attention?"

"Hermione healed him up a bit," she replied. "He seemed fine."

"Was he in the castle?" Ginny nodded. "Why didn't you tell anyone he was here?"

"I don't know," the redhead answered honestly. "I wanted to see him and be with him; and if I suggested that we tell someone, then he would have ran."

"How did he get into the castle? There are so many charms and enchantments on it!"

"I don't know."

"He still has the map," Remus muttered to himself. "That's how he got in."

"What?" Ginny questioned.

"I think you should go up to your dormitory or to the library. You have homework that no doubt needs to be completed."

Ginny sat in the chair completely dumbfounded. All this time Remus knew that Harry had been in trouble on a train that was attacked, but he didn't even tell her? What was he thinking? Ginny – of all people – had the right to know if Harry turned up in the newspaper! Then like a ton of bricks, it hit the Gryffindor. She told Remus nothing of what she knew, so he told her nothing of what he knew. Ginny bowed her head with tears prickling her eyes.

"I have work that needs to be done, Ginny," Remus said gently.

The youngest Weasley slowly stood up shakily. She bade goodnight to her professor and slowly ambled out of the small office. Her mind raced as she walked back to Gryffindor Tower. She didn't understand why hearing about what had happened on the train was affecting her so much. Harry had told her just yesterday everything that happened. It was now that there was a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her stomach was twisted in unbearable worry.

Ginny reached her dormitory and collapsed down onto her bed. She buried her face into her warm pillow and snuggled underneath the covers. The loss of Harry would be too much for her to bear. She didn't know if she would be able to live if he had died. The redhead closed her eyes and sleep soon overcame her. She dreamt of werewolves eating Harry and the rest of her family. She dreamt of Harry dying in every way possible.

A pop sounded and stirred Ginny from her sleep. There was a slight weight on her leg. Something was shaking her leg! The redhead picked up her head and looked blurrily at a small figure with several hats resting on his head. Floppy ears were bent down underneath the caps.

"Miss Wheezy!" the thing whispered feverishly. "Miss Wheezy needs to wake up!"

"What do you want?" Ginny whispered furiously back.

"Miss Wheezy! Dobby has a message from Harry Potter, Miss!"

The thing bounded forward right next to Ginny's head. It was then that the girl realized that the _thing_ was actually a house elf. _Dobby_, Ginny thought, _I've heard of him before!_ The Gryffindor adjusted herself so that she was upright to talk to the elf – whose enthusiasm was overwhelming.

"Harry sent you?"

"Yes, Miss Wheezy! Harry Potter has sent Dobby to tell you that they arrived in Wales! Harry Potter sent Dobby for Harry Potter trusts Dobby above all others! Harry Potter had called Kreacher, but Kreacher is a bad house elf! Harry Potter knows Kreacher cannot be trusted so Harry Potter trusts Dobby to keep Kreacher in line!"

"So – so Harry's okay then? He's not hurt or acting weird?" Ginny inquired.

"Harry Potter is fantastic! Amazing! Nothing is wrong with Harry Potter!" Dobby protested.

"My brother and Hermione, are they okay too?"

"Harry Potter's Wheezy and young miss are just fine!"

_Harry Potter's Wheezy_, Ginny thought sourly, _why couldn't _I _be his Wheezy?_ The Gryffindor thanked Dobby for delivering the message. The house elf puffed out his chest and smiled toothily. The hats on his head started to tilt off his head – squishing his right ear as they did so.

"Can you send Harry a message for me?"

"Yes! Dobby would love to deliver a message from Miss Wheezy to Harry Potter!"

"Tell him that the train incident was all over the muggle papers," Ginny started. "Also tell him Remus Lupin knows he's in Wales. Tell him that I –"

Ginny stopped as she blushed. She was going to say, 'Tell him that I love him', but to tell those words to a house elf who worshipped the very ground Harry walked on probably wouldn't blow be such a good idea. The redhead tried to think of another way to end the sentence but couldn't. She wanted Harry to know she loved him. Years of the Dursleys neglect probably had him wondering if he really was loved.

"Tell him that I want him to stay safe," Ginny concluded.

With a salute from Dobby, the house elf snapped his fingers and disappeared. Ginny pulled the covers closer to her and wished desperately that she could disappear to Harry too. Flinging back down onto her bed, Ginny stared up at her canopy. She knew sleep wasn't going to come again that night, and she was okay with that.

Author's Notes – How'd you enjoy that? I finished it with a pounding headache due to the stupid nail gun pounding nails into the new hardwood floors that are being installed. Argh! It's so noisy! Anyways, please take the time to review and give me your thoughts. You did take the time to read it, by the way. Now I'm off to the movies with my boyfriend! Until next chapter!


	7. The Christmas Brawls

Chapter Title – The Christmas Brawls

Ever since the lockdown at Hogwarts, school had gone by quickly. One day Ginny had been looking for information on R.A.B. in the library, and the next she was getting ready to start her Christmas holiday. She wondered who was going to show up – though she doubted the one person she wanted most would be there. It would truly be a Christmas miracle if the war ended; and Harry, Ron, and Hermione came home.

With her trunk already in the fireplace, Ginny squeezed herself between the wall and the trunk. She grabbed a pinch of floo powder that the headmistress was holding out to her. With the other hand clenching her belongings, the other threw the powder down and she cried, "the Burrow!"

Ginny tumbled out of the fireplace, falling over her trunk. There was a squeal of "Ginny!" – which was pronounced with a familiar French accent. She winced and looked up to see a very fat Fleur Delacour-Weasley waddling towards her. The French woman hauled Ginny up and enveloped her into a hug. Fleur squeezed Ginny so hard, that she felt as though she was going to pass out from lack of air.

"You will not believe it!" Fleur said as she slowly pulled away from the embrace as Ginny grabbed her bruised ribs. "I am 'aving a baby!"

"Fantastic," Ginny replied bitterly.

"Ginny!"

She turned her attention to Bill, who was standing in the kitchen doorway with his arms opened. Forgetting that she was a respectable sixteen-year-old, Ginny ran towards her brother and hugged him tightly. He was safe, and that was all that matter. She didn't know how many hours she had spent worrying about her family, but it was always a reassurance to Ginny to see her loved ones alive and in the flesh.

"How've you been?" asked Bill.

"Good," Ginny replied as she pulled out of the embrace. "I see you've been busy sticking little Bill in Fleur's –"

"Ginevra!" Molly Weasley thundered. "I did not raise my daughter to use such vulgar language!"

Ginny winced and turned her head to her mother. It really wasn't _vulgar_ language. Her brothers had used much more explicate words than she had used. Then again, Molly Weasley was raised _in the olden days_ where girls spoke politely and didn't talk out of turn. Times were different, and it annoyed Ginny to no end that her mother couldn't see that.

"I could have used much graphic words –"

"_Ginny_," Molly warned her.

"_Mother_," she replied as she walked towards Molly, "I am sixteen years old, I know what sex is."

Molly grew red in the face either of anger because she was talked back to or embarrassment – or maybe both. She hugged her daughter and then sent Ginny straight up to her room to put her things away. Ginny forced a tight smile before dragging her things upstairs into her room. As soon as she walked into the room, a swarm of feelings filled her. She saw where Harry and her had snogged on her bed. She could feel where Harry had touched her. A creeping feeling of him never touching her again shot in her mind, but she quickly tried to push it away.

The next couple of days of the holiday consisted of Fleur talking nonstop about her baby – which was apparently a girl. _"I can veel et," _Fleur said about fifty times a day. Bill had been constantly coming in and out of Burrow. Molly had fussed over Fleur and showed her all too revealing baby pictures of all her children. Arthur was at home just as often as Bill – if not less. The one thing Ginny didn't understand was why Fleur and Bill didn't stay at their house. They actually had two houses, a château in France that the Delacours bought them and a small townhouse a couple towns away from London – not to mention Bill's flat in Egypt.

"Charlie's always loved dragons," Molly said fondly as she pointed to a picture of Charlie playing with a stuffed dragon. "Just like Bill's always been oddly fond of snakes – I still haven't figured out why. Fred and George used to love the gnomes, now they hate them. Ron wore this one Cannons shirt almost every day for two months. Percy – oh my Percy – he was never without a book. Then Ginny –"

"_Mum_."

"She had these dolls –"

"_Mum_," Ginny raised her voice.

"Well, they were actually my dolls from when I was a little girl –"

"_Mum_, stop."

"She would always send them to attack her brothers any time they teased her –"

"Mum!" Ginny shouted. "Would you please _shut-up_?"

Molly looked at her daughter abashed and in utter disbelief. Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and looked back, feeling quite proud of herself. Molly had no right to start talking about when she was a child and some of the things she did. It wasn't like Fleur was family – okay, so _technically_ Fleur was family but not according to Ginny. It wasn't Ginny's fault that she was becoming more testy and mouthing off more often. She blamed it on stress.

The rest of the days up until Christmas Eve were extremely tense. The twins had arrived on Christmas Eve and planned to stay until New Years. Charlie was staying in Romania for he claimed there were a lot of things that needed to be done. Percy had declined Molly's invitation for Christmas dinner, which caused her to cry all day the day before Christmas Eve. Remus and Tonks had arrived for Christmas Eve dinner.

"Tonks, dear, you're too thin," Molly had commented as she slid some more food onto Tonk's plate.

"I'm fine, Molly, thanks for the concern," Tonks replied.

Tonks still had her long dark hair, pale face, and eyes that seemed to always glisten with tears. Bags resided under her gray eyes. She looked completely drained of everything. She forced a smile and tried to keep her chin up though, which impressed Ginny a great deal.

"Remus, darling, she is eating isn't she?" asked Molly.

"I'm _fine_," Tonks stressed before Remus could reply.

"So where you staying lately?" Fred questioned as he shoved a huge piece of ham into his mouth.

"Outside of Dover," Tonks replied, "in Remus's cottage."

"Any luck on your Metamorphous?" Bill inquired and Fleur played with his ear.

_What?_ Ginny thought. _What was wrong with Tonk's Metamorphous ability?_ Tonks pulled a face as her cheeks blushed crimson. Remus reached over and gently patted her hand. Ginny looked around the table to see that everyone wore sympathetic looks – even the twins. Ginny shot a look over at Remus only to see his full attention was on Tonks.

"Not so good as you can see."

"What happened?" Ginny blurted out.

Her mother shot her a look but didn't say anything. Several people shifted uncomfortably as though trying to act like they didn't hear what Ginny said. She turned her attention on Remus, who had grown accustomed to tell her things other adults wouldn't. The werewolf shook his head silently. Ginny's frustration grew.

"Tonks, what happened?" she addressed the source.

"Ever since – you see I –"

"She knows about the baby," Remus whispered.

Tonks nodded as more tears sprang into her eyes. They threatened to fall as her nose grew red. She took her hand out from under Remus's and slipped it under the table. Her face turned to Remus and she nodded without a word. He seemed to understand what she wanted.

"Ever since Tonks lost the baby," Remus started as Tonks gave out a dry sob, "she's been having trouble metamorphosing."

Ginny nodded partly because the explanation made sense and partly because she didn't know how to respond to that bit of information. There was only one question that was burning her mind so she asked it, "Is that her – I mean your original look?" It was worded a little weird, and she got several dirty looks, but Ginny was really curious.

"If you mean was I born this way, then yes," Tonks said with a forced smile. "I look a little too much like my aunt Bellatrix for my liking though."

"You're really pretty," Ginny commented. "Not that you don't look pretty all the time, but that is like an elegant beauty."

"Thanks," she replied.

The rest of the dinner seemed to ease on by. Molly gave her daughter a few looks of disappointment, Arthur looked preoccupied, Bill and Fleur fed each other, Tonks looked like crying, the twins whispered to one another, and Remus tried to pretend that nobody else was at the table. It was the worst Christmas Eve dinner ever with loved ones missing and a war raging. Molly Weasley was an amazing cook, but she couldn't even make the food taste desirable at a time like this.

After dinner, Remus and Tonks had bade everyone goodnight. They said they would return tomorrow for Christmas – though Molly had practically begged them to stay the night. Fred and George had gone back to their flat. Bill and Fleur had locked themselves up in Bill's old room. Arthur had spread work all over the kitchen table. Molly had taken Ginny to the couch and cried over her family that wasn't going to be at the Burrow for Christmas.

"Percy came last year," she wailed.

"Percy only came because the Minister What's-His-Face wanted to talk to Harry," Ginny pointed out as she tapped her mother's shoulder.

"Oh, Harry! My babies! Ron and Harry! Oh, why did they have to leave? No one knows if they are even alive!" she cried harder.

"They are alive, Mum."

"How do you know?" she snapped through her tears.

Ginny bit her lip. Telling Remus about Harry, Ron, and Hermione was utterly different than telling her own mother. Remus understood that they had to do what they had to do. Molly would just freak out and tell Ginny to get them home as soon as possible. Remus was the only one Ginny was going to talk to about the Horcruxes and Harry.

"I just have a feeling," she replied.

"_A feeling_?"

"You know how when you love someone so much that you could tell if they were hurt or dead? Like, I bet if something happened to dad, you would just feel something was wrong. Does that make sense?"

"Yes," Molly said slowly with a sniff, "the night your father was attacked a couple Christmases ago, I felt like something wasn't right."

"Well, there you go! I would just know if something happened to Harry because I'm in love –"

"Yes?"

_Oh, no. Did I just almost tell my mother I was in love with someone_? Ginny thought. There was no way to cover up her mistake. There was nothing witty to say. No lie that she could think of. She wasn't going to admit being in love with her mother – even though her mother probably already knew.

"I'm going to bed," Ginny announced as she stood up. "'Night, Mum."

The next morning, Ginny woke up to hear her mother screaming with glee. She could hear Bill and her father laughing. She sat up in bed and strained her ears to hear who had arrived. Maybe it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione! It was too good to be true. Ginny threw her covers aside and bolted out of her bedroom. She ran down the stairs to see the back of a redhead, whose hair was long and shaggy. Next to him was a short woman with black hair. It was then that the redheaded man turned around to reveal her older brother, Charlie. Ginny's heart broke.

"Charlie," she whispered.

"Get over her!" Charlie commanded playfully as he held his arms open for his sister.

Ginny ran towards Charlie and hugged him tightly around the neck. Her head rested comfortably near his face as she looked over to see whom the girl was he brought home. At first Ginny thought her mind was playing tricks on her. It couldn't possibly be whom she thought it was. The girl had long flowing black hair that reached the small of her back. Her skin was a smooth mocha, and her eyes a dark chocolate. The Chinese girl smiled briefly at Ginny before turning away.

"Cho?" Ginny questioned as she pulled back from her brother.

"Hello, Ginny," she replied stiffly.

"Cho started working in Romania with the dragons after she graduated Hogwarts last year," Charlie explained with a goofy smile. "I taught her everything she knows."

"He likes to think that," Cho retorted.

"Are you two…" Ginny trailed off as she saw the looks of disgust on the twin's faces.

"Making like wild animals?" Fred supplied.

"Knocking boots?" George continued.

"Doing the naughty?"

"That's enough!" Molly interrupted. "Cho, dear, don't pay any attention to them. I'm very glad you're here for Christmas. Would you like some breakfast? I was just about to make it."

Cho nodded and followed Molly into the kitchen. Bill shifted uncomfortably while the twins looked rather pleased with themselves. Charlie looked between the twins and Ginny with disappointment written all over his face. It wasn't until he was sure Cho was out of earshot that he spoke.

"You could have pretended to like her."

"She dated Harry you know," Ginny commented.

"She also dated Cedric Diggory," George pointed out.

"She was also known as 'Easy Chang' in school," Fred said.

"Everyone knows she had sex with almost every boy she dated," George told Charlie.

"She did?" Ginny interrupted.

"Don't worry, _Ginnykins_, we highly doubt she slept with Harry," Fred said playfully.

"Listen," Charlie said loudly, "I don't care if she dated Harry or Cedric or even one of my brothers. I like her a lot, and I'm really excited about this relationship. I was thinking of asking her to marry me soon."

Fred, George, and Ginny all broke out protesting at once. As much as Ginny hated Fleur being her sister-in-law, she would take Fleur over Cho any day. Bill was quiet throughout the outbursts of his younger siblings. Charlie seemed to get angrier at every comment. _"She cries too much!"_,_ "She's not good enough for you!"_, _"You can't possible marry her so soon!"_,_ "You hardly know her!"_, and _"She's a slut!"_

"You have to look pass the pretty face, Char," George said flatly.

"You didn't tell Bill that!" Charlie protested.

"Hey!" Bill shouted. "Don't bring Fleur or me into this! I'll have you know I fell in love with Fleur because –"

"She has a great personality," Fred interrupted.

"She's really funny," George added.

"She's a hard worker."

"She's the most amazing girl ever!"

"But the last thing I noticed about her –"

"Was her nice body and pretty face."

"Sound about right, Billy?" Fred inquired with a smirk.

The day dragged on slowly, and it seemed as though it were the longest Christmas ever. The Weasley boys weren't talking to each other. The twins made gagging noises any time Charlie or Cho showed any kind of affection. Several times Cho had told Charlie that she had enough and that she was leaving, but every time Charlie had convinced his girlfriend to stay. Fleur seemed upset by the lack of attention she was getting. She started talking loudly over everyone else's conversations to talk about her baby girl.

"I theenk that Charlotte is a 'ery pretty name," Fleur shouted over the twin's gagging. "Charlotte Weezley, oui?"

"You know if you have a problem with me just say what it is!" Cho exasperated.

"Our problem is that you are dating our brother!" George exclaimed.

"Or maybe Sophie," Fleur yelled. "After my muzzer – Sophie Molly Weezley. Good, oui?"

Ginny covered her hands over her ears. It was bad enough with the shouting matches, but now Molly had started crying hysterically over Percy, Ron, Harry, and Hermione not being home for Christmas. It was then that a snowy owl soured past the kitchen window. The owl flew back and pecked its beak onto the glass. Clenched in the owl's claws was a piece of paper.

She stood up and slowly made her way over to the window. Ginny opened it and Hedwig came flying in. She untied the note and opened it to see a familiar scrawl with five words – _"Meet me in the shed." _Ginny almost burst out laughing, but refrained herself. Stuffing the note into her pocket, Ginny quietly slipped on her coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and slipped on her trainers. She softly went out of the house through the backdoor.

Her insides felt like they were going to explode with excitement as she treaded towards the shed in the back. Her pale hand grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open to see Harry Potter standing there with a grin etched upon his pallid face. He looked just as sickly as he had the last time they had seen each other. The only difference was that Harry's glasses were missing. He reached out a hand and pulled her in. The door shut behind her, and they were left in complete darkness.

"_Lumos_," Harry's voice rang as light filled the small shed.

"Happy Christmas," Ginny purred.

She leaned forward and smacked her lips onto his. Ginny's whole body seemed to warm up immediately. Everything seemed lost. Nothing seemed important. It seemed as though Ginny and Harry were the only people left in the entire world. Everything seemed perfect. The fighting and the war were forgotten.

Harry's hand ran itself over Ginny's coat until it met her scarf. He tugged the scarf down as their lips parted. His lips then moved to her neck. They traced up until they found her ear. Ginny couldn't help but giggle was his lips tickled her ear. Harry gave out a low chuckle and pulled back.

"I'm not very good at kissing am I?" he asked slightly out of breath.

Ginny didn't reply. She positioned her hands onto Harry's chest and pushed him roughly against the side of the shed. Their lips pressed together in a rough kiss. Harry dropped his wand. It made a slight _thump_ as it collided with the floor. The two could no longer see each other's faces nor what they were doing. The light was only shining up their lower bodies.

"Harry," Ginny gasped as she pulled her yearning lips back.

"What?" he asked as his breathing was now racing.

"I love you."

With that, Ginny put her face close to his. Their cheeks rubbed up against each other as spurts of pure ecstasy radiated through them. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her as close to him as possible. They stood like that for several minutes before Ginny stepped out of the embrace. She knelt down and picked up Harry's wand. She stood up and positioned the light in front of his face to see if he looked healthier than before.

"Where are your glasses?" she asked. "Can you even see without them?"

"It's really strange, but I don't need them anymore," Harry replied.

"You're eyesight just magically corrected itself? Weren't you as blind as a bat?"

"Heh," Harry laughed nervously, "yeah. It is really weird, isn't it?"

_His senses are heightened. He can see farther than he has ever before. He can hear the slightest noises that most would not be able to. He can smell the softest scents._ Remus's words rang throughout Ginny's head. Harry's eyesight became so heightened after his run in with Greyback that he simply didn't need them anymore. Harry didn't need to be a full-fledged werewolf to have the extreme effects on his body. Several scratches had changed him completely.

"It's the werewolf in you," Ginny announced.

"What?" Harry questioned.

"Werewolves have heightened senses, and since you were attacked by Greyback it's the only logical explanation. Harry, when I was in the house could you – could you _smell_ me?"

"Ginny!" he laughed.

"My scent… could you smell it before I entered the shed?"

"Yes," he replied slowly, "but it's not 'the werewolf' in me that made me smell you. You were right outside the shed, and I smelled your scent."

"What is my scent?"

"Your perfume and shampoo," Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Flowers and soap with a hint of freshly cut grass and –" he leaned forward and sniffed Ginny's neck, "and freshly baked cookies."

"Harry, that's not normal."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not wearing any perfume," she stated, "and I couldn't guess what you smelled like unless I sniffed you long and hard and then thought about it for awhile."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ginny and looked at her as though he had never seen anything like her. She reached a hand forward and placed it gently over his mouth. She thought for several seconds. She strained her ears to see if she heard anything, but all she could hear was their breathing.

"Tell me what you hear," Ginny whispered as she pulled her hand away.

"This is ridiculous –"

"Just tell me."

Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and leaned back onto the wall of the shed. He closed his eyes and listened for anything. He opened his eyes again and locked his gaze with Ginny's. He then said, "Breathing, silverware clattering, and indistinctive voices." Harry had just proved what Ginny thought was to be true. He could hear what people were doing inside the Burrow while she couldn't.

"I can only hear us breathing," she stated. "You have amazing werewolf senses."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Depends on how you look at it."

"It's bad, because I feel like I'm naked without my glasses," Harry half joked.

"You're really funny," Ginny leaned forward and kissed him on the lips again. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Visiting the Grangers," he replied. "You should probably get back inside before someone notices you're gone."

Ginny turned her head towards the shed door. She didn't want to go back into the Burrow with the crying and the yelling. She wanted to stay with Harry in the dirty old shed. She just wanted to be with him. Ginny looked back at him and contemplated whether she should ask him to let her go with him. She knew the answer. It would be no. It would always be no.

"Yeah, I probably should."

She didn't move, however, nor did she make a motion to leave. Harry leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead. Ginny didn't want to go, but she knew that she must. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on his rough cheek. She pulled back and handed him his wand. Her hand reached for the doorknob.

"Talk to you soon?" she asked.

"Yes – no! Wait!" Harry protested as he reached into his jacket pocket. "Here. I almost forgot."

Ginny took the blue velvet box from him. Her fingers trembled as she opened it up. There lay a single necklace and a ring. The necklace was a gold chain with a small flower hanging off it. The flower was adorned with emeralds and rubies. It was breathtaking. The ring had a golden band with three emerald stones on the top.

"Harry," Ginny wheezed, "they're beautiful. I couldn't possibly accept them!"

"No, I want you to have them," Harry insisted. "They were my mother's actually. I found them over the summer in a Potter vault that I didn't know about. I was to have access to it when I came of age. There was a letter that came with the jewelry. The necklace was a gift from my father on their first date. The ring was my mum's engagement ring."

"Oh, Harry!"

"I want it to be a promise ring," he said with a small smile.

"I can't accept these, Harry," Ginny spoke with tears glistening in her eyes. "They were your mother's. They should stay with you."

"I'm not going to be wearing girl jewelry, Gins," Harry explained. "I'm not really good with words or expressing my feelings, but I love you. After everything with Voldemort is over and done with, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That sounds really cheesy doesn't it?"

"No, it's perfect."

Ginny leaned forward, and the two locked lips again. When they pulled back, Ginny slipped the ring onto her finger. She then turned around and held out the necklace to Harry. He seemed hesitant at first, but he latched the necklace around Ginny's neck.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said as he kissed Ginny's neck.

"You, stay safe," Ginny said as she turned around to look at him. "Don't get hurt or anything. I love you."

With that, Ginny left the shed. She shut it quietly behind her. Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them back. She strolled back to the Burrow and slipped inside the backdoor. Molly screamed and ran to hug her daughter fiercely. Several others let out sighs of relief.

"Where have you _been_?" Molly asked as she fiddled with Ginny's hair.

"The fighting was giving me a headache," she lied. "I'm glad it's over with."

"Ginny," Bill called as he walked towards her, "why are you crying?"

"The wind is really cold. My eyes are just watering from the wind."

"Ginny –" Arthur started.

"I'm fine," Ginny said hastily. "I'm really tired. I think I'm going to go to bed. Happy Christmas, everyone."

Author's Notes – Oh, I'm sorry this took so long to update. I'm back in school – which sucks major ass – and I've been really sick. Joys! I know the beginning of the chapter really sucks. I'm sorry for that. I just couldn't get it right. I'm really glad how the end turned out though. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed. Your kind, honest comments have really perked me up. They made me so happy that I sent this story in to see if it will be accepted into the Schnoogle achieve. I'm waiting for a response. Also, I was rereading a chapter to check something, and I realized that I had so many horrible grammar mistakes! Ew. I'm really sorry for that. I'm also sorry for all the mistakes I made in this chapter. I hate revising my own chapters, because I end up never satisfied with them. So it's either read or never read as I try to make everything perfect. Don't forget to review!


	8. The Full Moon

Chapter Title – Full Moon

It was a snowy afternoon in January when the letter arrived. As soon as Hedwig brought it, Ginny Weasley knew something dreadful had happened. Hedwig was only used to deliver letters to her mother and no one else. Hedwig hadn't left Hogwarts since before Christmas either. It was odd to say the least, since Ginny didn't understand how Hedwig got to the sender of the letter.

Nevertheless, she was glad but apprehensive about what was written within the small piece of parchment. Ginny would have recognized the neat handwriting anywhere. Hermione Granger hadn't written to Ginny since her third year. Usually the two girls spent the summer holidays together so there was no need to write. However, it had been months since Ginny and Hermione had saw each other let along spoke. Ginny considered Hermione a sister, and it killed her not to talk to her friend.

_Ginny,_

_Ron and I don't know what to do. There's something wrong with Harry. We believe that it has something to do with Greyback's attack since it always starts around the full moons. Tonight's the full moon, so it's happening again. We're in Hogsmeade, or what is left of it. There's a passageway in the basement of Honeydukes that leads to the castle. We're going to go through that passage and end up behind the one-eyed witch. Be there during dinner. We need to take Harry to the Room of Requirements. When we arrive, I'll tell you everything._

_Much love,_

Hermione 

The whole day Ginny did nothing but fret over Harry. She knew something like this would happen ever since her conversation with Remus. Harry needed medical attention, but he would never forgive Ginny if she told Madam Pomfrey what was going on. She knew she was being selfish. She knew she was doing the wrong thing. However, if Harry hated her then she would never be able to live with herself. Then again, if Harry died she'd never be able to live with herself either.

Dinner finally came after what seemed like forever. Ginny needed to find a way to escape the Great Hall with no one noticing. She glanced to her left to see Luna sitting next to her. The Ravenclaw was peering at a noodle that was dangling from her fork. She whispered something to Neville who laughed.

"Luna," Ginny whispered.

"Doesn't this noodle's tip look like Agrippa?" Luna asked as she swayed the noodle in front of Ginny's face.

"Yeah," she stated with a forced smile. "Listen, I need you and Neville to make a diversion so I can get out of here."

"Does this have something to do with Harry?"

"Maybe."

"Tell him I said hello. He's awfully nice."

A couple seconds later, Luna screamed at the top of her lungs. All heads turned to her in shock and worry. Ginny slid underneath the table and crawled in-between her and Luna's chairs. She crawled all the way out of the Great Hall as Luna screamed her heart out. She hoped that nobody saw her sneak out.

With her heart pounding hard against her chest, Ginny dashed down the corridors until she arrived at the One-Eyed Witch statue. Out of breath, she leaned up next to the wall and sunk down to the floor. She wiped the sweat off her brow with her sleeve. Then there was a noise that made Ginny jump out and whip out her wand. She pointed it at the statue to see a mop of red hair.

Her heart rate sped up as her brother and Harry came tumbling out of the hump of the witch statue. Ron had his arms securely wrapped around his frail looking best friend. Harry looked horrible. Huge bags resided under his eyes. His skin was ghastly pale. He trembled violently, and it looked like his legs were going to give out at any second.

Ginny raced forward and wrapped her arms around Harry. The two Weasleys half carried half dragged the boy away from the statue to make room for Hermione Granger to step out. The four of them walked without saying a single word except for Hermione's small comments to avoid one hallway because someone was down there.

They reached the Room of Requirements, which looked a lot like a bedroom. Ron and Ginny took Harry over towards the bed and tried to gently lay him down upon the sheets. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her away from the bed. Ron sat down on the corner of the bed.

"He's been getting worse every full moon," Hermione started. "December was worse than November. Now January is worse than December. He insists he's fine, but that's classic Harry, isn't' it?"

"How did you get him here?" Ginny asked with her eyes never leaving Harry.

"It wasn't easy," was all Hermione said.

Ginny turned her head to look at a very pale Harry lying in the bed. He talked quietly with Ron. It broke her heart to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione all look so sick and tired. They all had lost a significant amount of weight. Harry, by far, looked the worse out of them all.

"I'm going to sneak down to the library," Hermione stated as she ruffled through the pockets of her coat. "Ron's coming with me under the Invisibility Cloak. We're going to be looking up how to help Harry get better so that he isn't like this every full moon."

"How are you going to get down there without getting caught?" Ginny inquired as she tore her eyes away from the bed.

Hermione's hand reached out and yanked a lock of Ginny's red hair out of her head. Ginny let out a small 'owe' while rubbing her head. Hermione dropped the hair into a vial before draining the contents. Slowly, Hermione started to grow shorter. Her hair smoothed out and turned a bright Weasley red. Her nose and lips shifted. Her cheekbones went higher. Before long, Ginny looked at her best friend in mild shock. Hermione looked exactly like Ginny!

"Polyjuice," Hermione stated unnecessarily. "I have enough to last me three hours; I just need three more locks of your hair."

Hermione's hand reached out again, but Ginny swatted it away. Ginny took three hairs out of her head gently and handed them to Hermione. Hermione called Ron over. He slipped under the Invisibility Cloak, and the two made their way out of the Room of Requirements.

Ginny turned around as the door clicked to see Harry watching her every move with a forced smile on his face. His chest heaved up and down shakily and rapidly. She slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on the edge. Her hand reached out and grasped his in hers. His touch was cold, so Ginny pulled his hand into her lap and started rubbing it to try to keep it warm.

"Why didn't you tell me this got so bad when you saw me at Christmas?" Ginny asked as she tried to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"Because there was nothing to tell," he replied hoarsely.

"I could have figured out a way to help you…" she trailed off.

"Then, I'd miss my chance to see you."

"Don't joke, Harry. This is serious."

"It's only once a month, Gin," Harry sighed. "Remus goes through a lot worse than I do."

Ginny closed her eyes tightly at the thought of Remus. She didn't even notice that he was absent from dinner. She hadn't thought of him turning into a werewolf ever since she found out it was the full moon that day. She felt horrible as she thought of her professor's bones and limbs snapping and twisting. She thought of Tonks and what she must have went through when she was pregnant with a werewolf child. It hurt. It hurt Ginny too much to think of such things.

"Ginny?"

Ginny's head snapped up to see a worried looking Harry through the tears in her eyes. He didn't know. He was out of loop because he was off trying to kill Voldemort as though it were his job and his job alone. He felt obligated to kill Voldemort and nothing anyone say could change that.

"I'm sorry," she choked out as she tried to blink back the tears.

"What's wrong? I didn't mean to say anything that would upset –"

"Harry," Ginny let out a choked laugh, "it wasn't you. I was just thinking about… Remus, actually."

"Is Remus okay?" Harry asked anxiously.

Of course, Harry would be worried about Remus. Remus was Sirius's and James's best friend. They were the true Marauders. It was natural for Harry to be concerned about Remus. They both had been through the trials and tribulations life had so cruelly thrown at them.

"He's fine," Ginny said. "There's just been a lot going on with him this year…"

"It's me, isn't it?"

"Partly. He's worried about you, as is everyone."

"Why can't everyone just understand this is something that I need to do and stop making a huge deal out of it?"

"We understand you have to do this, Harry, but that doesn't stop any of us to worry about you!" Ginny protested. "This is what love is, Harry! This is what family is! You know if Sirius was still alive, then he would be doing the same thing we're doing!"

Ginny watched as Harry's face turned from frustration to complete anguish. If there was one thing Harry Potter never talked about, it was his godfather. He had built up a wall around himself to block out his godfather. He tried not to be consumed by grief. However, it seemed like just a small gesture or one small word had tremendous affects on Harry.

"He's dead," Harry stated flatly. "It doesn't matter what he would have done or not."

"It does matter though. It matters to you; you just don't like to show how much it does. He was the only father you ever knew… how could it not matter?"

"Stop the perceptive Dumbledore crap," Harry snapped. "You don't think that I didn't get this speech from him after Sirius died? After I as good as murdered him?"

"Harry –"

"It doesn't matter what the dead think, Ginny, because the dead are dead. I've spend too much of my life wishing my mum and dad were alive. No matter how much I wished they were still dead. It's the same with Sirius and Dumbledore and whoever else decides to drop dead."

"If your parents didn't matter in your life, then why did you give me your mother's ring?"

Ginny held up her hand and wiggled her fingers to show Harry that she was wearing it. He sighed heavily before closing his eyes. His hand slipped from under Ginny's to rub his eyes. They both stayed quiet for what seemed like forever until Harry spoke.

"I never said they didn't matter, Ginny. I'm just stating that I have to move on without them, and I can't do that unless I try not to think about them. You don't know what it's like to live alone. You don't know what it's like to lose all of the parental figures in your life."

"Harry… look, I'm sorry. I don't know. I do know that I care about you and so do all of my brothers and parents. Remus and Tonks care about you too. Several professors here care about you. Just because your parents and Sirius are gone doesn't mean that there aren't other people who would do anything for you."

"Yeah, so they can all die."

Ginny leaned forward and planted her lips onto his. She couldn't stand where the conversation was going. She couldn't stand to argue with him any longer. She just wanted to kiss him and make him forget about the pains of the full moon and of his life. His cold, shaky hand touched the side of her face and sent shivers down her body.

It wasn't long before Harry pulled back in pain. He clenched his chest as his teeth gritted together. Ginny didn't know what to do. She watched as he withered on the bed. She didn't know what had suddenly caused the pain, but she knew she had to do something. It was then, out of the corner of her eye, that Ginny saw the full moon shining brightly in the window. She jumped off the bed and quickly went to the window, completely baffled by what was happening. She drew the drapes over window to block out the moonlight. She turned back to Harry to see him panting heavily on the bed and no longer in anguish.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked as she made her way back over to the bed.

"I guess the moon rose," Harry grimaced as he spoke.

Ginny and Harry laid next to each other on the bed in the Room of Requirements waiting for their friends to return with news. Hours passed as the two talked about everything from Quidditch to what was happening in the war. Ginny talked about her classes and how Fleur was pregnant. She told him how Charlie and Cho were an item. In return, Harry told her how they had raided Grimmauld Place looking for the locket only to find nothing.

"Mundungus probably stole it when he stole all that other stuff."

"Are you going to try to find it?" Ginny questioned as she moved her head over to rest on Harry's chest.

"I'm going to Azkaban next week and talk to him."

"What?"

"Mundungus has been in Azkaban for a while, you knew that," Harry stated. "I'm going down there and seeing if I can get some information out of him."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

Before Harry could reply, the door opened and a bushy-haired girl came tumbling in with a redhead. Hermione stood up and straightened her clothes. Ron looked slightly abashed with his cheeks burning on his face.

"Were you two snogging in the broom closet like old times?" Ginny inquired playfully.

"I've never!" Hermione protested. "I was a respectable prefect who has never done such childish things!"

"Oh, come on!" Ginny exclaimed. "After Lav-Lav broke up with Won-Won, you two so sucked face in a closet!"

"I'll have you know that we were in the library when I ran out of Polyjuice," Hermione said with an annoyed tone. "So we had to run all the way back here because the professors were patrolling the hallways. We weren't _snogging_ in any case."

"Though we did trip, and she landed right on top of me," Ron smirked.

"I kneed you in the gut, Ronald," Hermione stated.

"Yeah, that happened too," Ron mumbled as his ears turned red.

"What did you find?" asked Ginny.

Hermione looked over at Ron before looking back at Ginny and Harry. Hermione's hesitate reaction immediately told Ginny that something was horribly wrong. She sat up on the bed and grabbed Harry's hand into her own. She held her breath waiting for Hermione to say something.

"There's a whole lot of books on werewolf bites that turn you into werewolves, but there is, essentially, nothing about being bitten or scratched by a werewolf not in the wolf form." Hermione explained.

"What are you saying?" Harry asked.

"I'm saying that Greyback's probably the first werewolf to attack people when not in wolf form. There's no documentation on how to help someone who suffers the affects of the full moon but are not actually a wolf."

"How does this help Harry?" inquired Ginny.

"It doesn't," Hermione sighed. "He needs medical attention to get better. I don't have the resources or the knowledge to do so."

"Hermione, you're the smartest witch of our year," Harry protested. "You're probably the smartest person I know. There has to be something that you can do."

"I wish there was, Harry! The fact of the matter is, this isn't in a textbook, so I'm at a loss."

"I never heard Hermione Granger say she can't do something," Ginny commented bitterly. "You've done so much, but yet you can't help out your best friend?"

"If there was something I could do, anything, I would have done it by now!" Hermione shouted. "I've been researching ever since this happened! I thought out of all the places out there, Hogwarts would have some sort of information."

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out!" Ginny screamed.

"Ginny," Harry spoke softly as he sat up wincing.

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione said as she rubbed her eyes. "Ron and I will go do that research on… you-know-what. I can research in the library when Ron keeps a close eye on the Marauder's Map."

With that, Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him out of the Room of Requirements, leaving a fuming Ginny. She stood up and started to pace back and forth in the room. Her mind raced. She had to think of what Madam Pomfrey did to help Bill. She tried to remember what Remus said. It seemed as though her mind was drawing one huge blank. It killed her.

"There has to be something that she overlooked," Ginny muttered to herself.

Remus had said that there was something foreign in the body that would do damage. How would one get out that foreign substance though? Remus would know, but he was _indisposed_ at the moment. Who else could help Harry who knew what was going on? Had anyone else read the newspaper article about the attack on the train and recognized Harry? Was Remus the only one? Did Remus tell the Order about it? Did he tell Tonks? Tonks!

"Harry, I'm going to go get Tonks," Ginny announced.

"What? No!"

"She can help you! I mean, look at what happened to Tonks and this whole werewolf thing! If anyone knows just as much about werewolves as Remus, then it's Tonks! She's staying at Remus's cottage… in Dover. How do I contact her though?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just, stay here!"

Ginny ran out of the room and raced down the corridors. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she let her feet do the moving. Before long, she stood outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. She opened the door slowly with her wand drawn in case Remus was there. Seeing that the room was clear, she crept in farther and shut the door behind her. Whining came from Remus's office along with a soft voice. Ginny inched forward to the door. She pressed her ear up against it to hear a familiar voice talking softly. Ginny knocked a couple times on the door before opening it.

A black-haired Tonks sat on the floor with her back leaning up against the desk. In her lap was the head of a werewolf. Tonks was playing with the wolf's fur gently. Ginny felt incredibly stupid walking into such a private scene such as this, and for several seconds forgot why she came in the first place.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Tonks asked.

"It's Harry," Ginny replied as the werewolf's head snapped up. "He's here, and the full moon is really hurting him. I thought maybe you could help him… without making him stay here forever. I would like him to stay, you know, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he wasn't fighting in this war."

"Where is he?"

"Err… promise not to tell the Order or my parents he was ever here?"

"Promise."

"Room of Requirements. Ron and Hermione are down in the library too. They tried to find something to help Harry, but they weren't successful."

It must have been quite a sight to see. An Auror, a young woman, and a werewolf marching down the corridors of Hogwarts. Ginny would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. They reached their destination, and Ginny had let them inside. The werewolf bounded over towards Harry and jumped up onto the bed.

"Hey, Moony," Harry whispered as he scratched the wolf's head.

Tonks strolled over towards Harry and looked at him. She asked him a series of questions about exactly what he was feeling and experiencing. Apparently a lot of the symptoms Harry held, Bill had also. Tonks excused herself and said that she would be back in several minutes.

Ginny walked towards the bed and sat down. Harry gave her an anxious look before turning his gaze back to _Moony_. The wolf's tail thumped up and down happily on Ginny's leg. The werewolf rested his head down on Harry's chest and whined.

"How did you know Tonks would be here?" Harry asked as he turned his gaze back to Ginny.

"You can't keep a woman from her man in a time of need," Ginny replied with a smirk dancing on her face.

"What did you mean that a lot had happened with Tonks and werewolf business?"

The werewolf's head turned around to look at Ginny. She felt guilty for even mentioning it. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't keep her mouth shut all the time. There were just spasms when her mouth went off and spilled all of her secrets and knowledge. She hated it, but she couldn't help it. Ginny locked a gaze with the werewolf, who was nodding his head in encouragement.

"Well… err… Tonks was pregnant with Remus's child, but lost it," Ginny briefly explained.

"When did this happen?"

"Um… a couple months after you left," she replied.

It seemed as though Harry wanted to ask something else but refrained himself from doing so. It broke Ginny's heart to see that. She had concluded that it must have been the Dursleys fault. Anything in Harry's life made him hesitate or get that lost look in his eyes immediately made Ginny believe that it could easily be blamed on the Dursleys.

Ginny reached out a hand and gently scratched _Moony_ on top of his head. Her ring glistened in the pallid lights of the room. Her brown eyes wandered up too notice Harry staring at it with a far away look in his eyes. His hand reached out and gently traced a small line across her fingers. Her breath hitched in her throat. Harry retracted his hand quickly and looked off into the distance with the lost boy look etched upon his drawn face.

Several minutes of silence ended when Tonks came sliding into the room. She had several potion vials in her arms. She commented about taking "great care in not breaking them". Just as she said that, one vial fell to the floor and smashed. The contents spilled everywhere as a very red Tonks tried to ignore it.

Everything that happened next seemed like a blur to Ginny. She didn't remember anything that happened after Harry had drank the countless amount of potions. She just knew that she woke up with an arm draped across her chest and some fur touching the base of her neck. She heard voices whispering in the lowest of tones. She slid her left eye open a crack to see a blurry red headed figure with a bushy-haired one.

"I hate to leave them," she heard Harry's voice whisper close to her ear.

It was then that she felt Harry's breath tickle her ear and neck. She was pulled closer to his body. She didn't protest, but she didn't let it known that she was awake either. She felt his lips press gently onto her cheek and then her forehead. His lips then moved down until the teasing her earlobe.

"I'll hopefully see you later," he whispered. "Take care of Lupin for me. I – I love you."

His warm body pulled away from hers. She felt lonely and cold. Her mind screamed for her to open her eyes and let him know that she was awake. She wanted to tell him not to leave her, that she needed her more than the Wizarding World did. She wanted to say so many things, but felt her mind freeze. She felt like crying as the bed creaked when he slid off. She heard him wince in pain as their footfalls made their way to the door.

_Be safe._

It was all her mind could register. She opened her eyes only to see a bleak wall looking back at her. She heard the door open and click closed. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She let them fall and soak the pillow. A dry sob escaped her lips with a hiccup. She tried to hold it back so that she wouldn't wake up Remus or Tonks.

_I love you._

She touched the faint indention of the mattress next to her where Harry's body had lain. It was still warm from his body. She grabbed the pillow his head had rested on and brought it close to her body. Taking in a huge whiff, she smelled his dirty, blood-ridden scent. She longed for him to be next to her again, and she looked forward to the day that they would be together.

Ginny didn't regret not saying goodbye to him. Goodbyes were always hard to do, for you never knew which goodbye would be the last.

Author's Notes – Wow! That took forever to get up. A month! It's been a month! That's so horrible. Stupid school. Now before anyone reviews saying, "Hermione's so out of character" or "Oh! That last paragraph foreshadowed Harry's death!" I ask you all to read my extended author note in my LJ (link's in my profile). I also hope all of you enjoyed the chapter and just disregard all my horrible grammar mistakes. I do hope you all review, since you took the time to read. I also hope you know there's a counter that tells me how many people actually read a chapter (or at least view it). I probably get two reviews for every thirty reads. That's really sad, so please review!


	9. The New Littlest Weasley

Chapter Title – The New Littlest Weasley

_Darkness. The room was in complete darkness. The floor was hard and cold. Something wasn't right. Evil was tangible in the air. Ginny stirred on the floor and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Her head throbbed as her throat itched. Then there it was – a barely audible voice._

"_Bring her."_

_A door burst opened and several dark figures came towards her. On their faces were white masks. Their eyes pierced at her sinisterly. Before Ginny could process what was happening, two Death Eaters grabbed her under the arms and dragged her out of the small dungeon._

_The walls were covered in snake morals. The hallway was dim and drafty. Bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling ever few feet. The light that radiated from them was dull and didn't really illuminate anything of interest. The hallway seemed to go on forever until there was one solitary door at the end of the corridor. It was metal with two snakes coiling up it._

_The door opened magically to reveal a scene that Ginny never wanted to see. Lord Voldemort stood before her with several Death Eaters on either side him. On the floor, in front of him, laid Harry Potter who was covered in blood. A small sob escaped from Ginny's lips._

_"Tell me, Sweet Ginny, how do you expect to live when your little hero is dead?" asked Voldemort with a sardonic tone._

_"No," she whispered, "he can't be… I love him…"_

_"Your love wasn't enough to save him."_

_"I love him… I love him… I love him…"_

_"Ginny," a new voice rang. "Wake up."_

Ginny bolted up in an unfamiliar bed with beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead. Next to her was Remus Lupin, whose face was filled with concern. Tonks was behind him, her body leaning up against his. She suddenly felt like a little girl again just having woke up from a bad dream and immediately scampered off to her parent's room.

They stared at her, their eyes wide with concern. She felt compelled to tell them about her dream, to tell them that she felt that it would actually happen. It seemed so real that she couldn't help but think that it had really happened.

_But it didn't happen. It won't._

It was just a dream. Just a dream. Ginny turned her head towards Remus and Tonks and gave them a small, reassuring smile. She pushed the covers off herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She slid off the bed and her feet made a soft _thump_ as they collided with the hardwood floors. Without looking back, without saying anything to the two people whom she started to consider family, she ran out of the Room of Requirements and made her way to Gryffindor Tower.

Weeks passed and Ginny had not heard nor seen Harry in that long stretch of time. January became February which soon became March. With the changing months, the dreams continued as well. She would wake up in a cold sweat while screaming at the top of her lungs. It became unbearable for her. She refused herself the sleep she needed. Huge bags now permanently resided under her eyes. She could no longer concentrate in her classes, and she was sure she was failing at least half of them.

The _Daily Prophet_ was flooded with attack articles. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters went on a full out attack on all of Great Britain. Irish and Welsh ministries were now involved in the war. There were also several attacks on Germany, France, Sweden, and several other European countries. The ministries of those countries declared war and allied themselves with the English government. It seemed as though it were time to tell the Muggles of the Wizarding World because the Muggles were being attacked just as much – if not more than the wizards.

McGonagall and the professors talked about shutting down Hogwarts and making it into a shelter for all those who lost their homes. They doubted, however, that anyone would want to stay there because of the events that happened at the end of last year. The students, so far, had been safe from any attacks except for Hogsmeade. McGonagall and others were convinced that unwanted people could not get into the castle. Then again, they were wrong. Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck in the castle just months before. If they could… who's to say Death Eaters couldn't?

There was only one bit of good news that reached Ginny's ears. Bill and Fleur had a daughter at the beginning of March. Her name was Charlotte Ambrose Weasley. Ginny was sent a picture of her newborn niece. The girl was small and pink. There was a tuft of golden blonde hair from her head. _At least she wasn't cursed with the Weasley red hair_, Ginny thought when she first saw the picture. Charlotte's eyes were huge, cerulean orbs. She was so tiny, so precious. It was unfeasible that something so innocent, so good could come out of a world that was turning to out to be in utter chaos. Ginny carried the picture around with her everywhere she went to remind her that good things could happen in a time of war.

"Remus…?" Ginny called one day at the end of March. "Remus?"

She walked into her professor's office. The werewolf sat at his desk with a far away look in his eyes. It was as though he didn't even notice Ginny's presence. She walked closer towards him, waving a hand in front of his face. At that moment, he snapped out of his pondering. He stared at his student with as a look of mild confusion filled his features.

"What can I do for you?" he asked kindly.

"I – I wanted to talk to you," Ginny replied as her hand found the picture in her pocket. "I'm worried about Harry."

"What's wrong with Harry?" demanded Remus as he sat up tall in his chair, suddenly very alert.

"Noth – I don't know. I haven't talked to him since the January full moon," Ginny admitted. "I'm worried that he might be…"

"I know we are all hoping for the best."

At that moment, Ginny wanted nothing more than to cry and let all of her emotions come spilling out. She would never do that though. Ever since her first year and the "diary incident", Ginny kept her emotions at bay and tried to never let them show. She vowed herself that she would never be victimized again.

"I miss him," was all she said.

"We all do."

Ginny ran her fingers along the picture in her pocket. She tried to focus her mind on the good things in her life. Her parents were still alive. She knew that almost all of her brothers were safe. Neville and Luna were safe. Ian was let out of the hospital a week ago and was home. Ginny pulled the picture out of her pocket and slid it across the desk to Remus.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

"She's precious," Remus smiled.

"I wish I could meet her… hold her, you know?" Ginny chuckled. "She doesn't really seem real since I haven't touched her, if that makes any sense."

"I saw her last Order meeting. Bill brought her to show her off. She's gorgeous," Remus said as he slid the picture back to Ginny. "Charlie told Bill that he was going to call her Charlie."

"I don't know if I could deal with another Charlie," Ginny joked.

"He already got her a stuffed dragon that she absolutely adores."

Ginny smiled as she longed to be at the Burrow with all of her brothers. She wanted nothing more than to walk downstairs in her nightgown to see Harry Potter sitting at her breakfast table. Even though that was the most embarrassing event she had ever been apart of, Ginny longed for it to happen once more.

"Is there anyway I could go home for a little bit? Just to see Mum, my brothers, and Charlotte?"

"There's actually an Order meeting tonight," Remus said thoughtfully. "I could take you to Grimmauld Place and then after the meeting, you could go home with your parents for the weekend."

"You can arrange that?"

"I will talk to McGonagall, I'm sure she won't object. I will also talk to your parents, and I'm sure they would love to see you for a whole weekend."

"Thank-you so much," Ginny said with a smile.

Ginny waited anxiously to hear whether she could go home or not. It was dinnertime when Remus came up behind her and told her to accompany him to his office. Her heart flew as she followed her professor to his classroom. On his desk was an old, dirty shoe. Remus motioned for her to take it into her hand which she did. She felt a familiar pull at her navel, and she suddenly found herself in the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.

The house looked dirtier than ever. It was as though the house had been neglected ever since Sirius died. She ran a finger over the hold coffee table to see it covered in a thick layer of dust. Sighing, Ginny made her way towards the stairs to see her and Hermione's old room. Just as she was about to place a foot on the stairs, a voice called her back.

She turned around to see her mother standing there with her cheeks flushed and her clothes rambled. She rushed forward and enveloped her daughter into a loving hug. Ginny returned the hug as a smile crept onto her face. It had been way too long since she's felt safe in her mother's arms.

"Oh, Sweetie, when Remus contacted me I was so happy!" Molly exclaimed. "What caused you to want to come?"

"I'm just lonely, that's all," Ginny replied with a forced smile.

"I need to get to the Order meeting, but you just wait upstairs in the room Hermione and you shared two summers ago. I'll get you when it's over, and we can go home, okay?"

Ginny nodded as her mother planted a wet kiss on her cheek. The teenager sighed heavily, for her mother was treating her as though she were five years old. She knew that her mother meant well, but sometimes it got overboard.

Without thinking, Ginny ran up the stairs into the attic of the house. It was dust covered and dingy. She started throwing the sheets off the furniture and ripped through boxes. She didn't know why she was looking for the necklace. Harry probably already looked and that was why he was going to see Mundungus in Azkaban. Ginny went through one dusty box after another.

"Ginny!"

Ginny didn't hear her mother call for her nearly an hour later. Instead, she went to another box and tore it open. Old clothes lay at the bottom. Tearing open another one, she saw nothing but old photographs. She was about to move onto another box, but her mind wandered to the photos. The one on top was of two little boys, probably around the ages seven and nine. They looked nearly identical, except for the heights and the haircuts. They had thin faces with neatly brushed black hair. Turning the picture over, Ginny read, "_Sirius and Regulus November 5, 1969, before going off to the Malfoy anniversary party"_.

"Ginny!"

RIP! TEAR! Ginny tore through the boxes at an accelerated speed. It was then that she saw it. Glittering in the bottom of the newest box lay a necklace. Her fingers trembled as they reached out to grasp the chain. Tears burned in her eyes as images of her first year came flooding back to her. She could hear his taunts, his laughs filling her head. She could see his sadistic smile as he completely consumed her.

"GINNY!"

She remembered waking up in the chamber and seeing Harry over her. Tears fell down her face freely. She never retold her story of what happened with Tom Riddle – except to Albus Dumbledore. He was the only person who ever knew everything. He was the only person whom she ran to. He was dead now, and that secret was carried to the grave with him.

Suddenly, the old magical radio in the corner of the room burst to life. It was static for several seconds before it turned into some music. The song that emitted from the radio made Ginny stop in her tracks. They seemed to have been written about her and Tom.

_**Sparkling angel, I couldn't see**_

_**your dark intentions, your feelings for me.**_

_**Fallen angel, tell me why?**_

_**What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?**_

Ginny jumped up from her spot on the floor and ran over to the wireless. She started pressing all the buttons to try to shut it off, but it just kept going. In her frustration, with tears blurring her vision, she started to beat the radio with her fists.

_**I see the angels,**_

_**I'll lead them to your door.**_

_**There's no escape now,**_

_**no mercy no more.**_

_**No remorse cause I still remember**_

_**the smile when you tore me apart**_

"Gins?" a male voice called.

"Make it stop!" Ginny shouted.

Bill Weasley rushed over to his younger sister and gathered her up in his arms. He pulled her out of the attic and down the stairs to the next landing. He had never seen his little sister react the way he just witnessed. She was usually happy and full of energy. In that moment, she was crying and feeble. It broke Bill's heart.

"Come on," Bill whispered, "Mum wants to go home."

"Wait! Harry!"

Ginny pulled out of her brother's arms and ran into the attic. She went straight to the box that housed the necklace. Reaching down, she picked up the necklace as it sent a shock through her body. Trying to not think of that, she slipped it into her pocket and scampered off to her brother.

Saying that Ginny felt utterly embarrassed about how Bill found her would be an understatement. Her feelings simple couldn't be described. Bill, however, being the best brother in the world, failed to tell their mother how he found Ginny. For that, she was grateful. Ever since the "Chamber" incident, Molly Weasley always fretted over her only daughter a little too much. To know that she broke down in the attic of a dead man's house… well, Molly would have had a nervous breakdown herself.

All the worries that transpired in Black Manor seemed to slip away when Ginny held her tiny niece in her arms. Charlotte's small arms waved in the arm; and every now and then, they tried to grab a strand of Ginny's bright red hair. Something tightened unexpectedly in her stomach. She couldn't help but imagine herself in a couple years watching Harry Potter hold _his_ tiny baby in his arms with herself standing behind him. That dream would all be ruined if Voldemort succeeded to kill Harry.

That night, as Ginny sat in her bed at the Burrow, she couldn't help but debate with herself. Did she dare send Harry the necklace? Should she destroy it herself? What if it was already destroyed and completely harmless? Harry was looking for it; he needed it. Deciding what to do, Ginny tiptoed out of her bedroom and went to the attic where Hedwig and Errol were sitting side-by-side.

"Hedwig," she whispered, "come here. I have a message for Harry."

The owl hooted happily as she soared towards Ginny and landed on her shoulder. She jotted down a few words onto a sheet of paper and then tied both the letter and necklace onto Hedwig's leg.

"You can't let anyone see this but Harry," she whispered. "If you can't find Harry, then give it to Ron or Hermione. If you can't find them either, bring it back to me."

Giving the owl a weak smile, Ginny walked towards the window and opened it. The cool March air came blowing inside. Hedwig let out a small hoot before she soared out of the crooked house. Sliding down to the floor, Ginny buried her head in her knees. It had been too long since she saw or heard from Harry, and she just wanted to know if he was all right.

The next morning, Ginny waited anxiously for Hedwig to return. Though she knew it was fruitless to hope that the owl would return that quickly, Ginny tried to keep her hopes up. She sat at the breakfast table across from Bill and Fleur, who were talking excitedly to each other about the baby. Molly was busy cooking, and Arthur had just left to go off to work.

"Ginny, dear, you barely touched your eggs," Molly said concerned as she sat down next to her daughter.

"I'm not really hungry," she replied.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

"Do you want to stop badgering me?"

"Honestly!" Molly exclaimed. "I didn't know it was a crime to be concerned about my own daughter!"

"Morning, Weasleys!" Charlie called as he came into the kitchen with Cho Chang trailing behind him.

"Morning, my fair brother!" Bill greeted.

"Morning, Charlie," Fleur welcomed with a smile.

"Morning, my favorite sister!" Charlie greeted.

Charlie walked behind his sister and kissed her on the top of her head. He took a seat next to her, picked up a piece of egg, and plopped it into his mouth. Cho made her way to the breakfast table and took a seat next to Charlie. It was then that Ginny saw a glittering band on Cho's finger. Ginny groaned. How could Charlie do that?

"What? You are my favorite sister!" Charlie protested.

"Your only sister," Bill spoke up. "Ginny knows she's my favorite sibling. Next time say sibling, it'll score you big points."

"I thought I was your favorite sibling!" Charlie protested with a smile.

"You're my favorite _brother_," Bill replied with a smirk.

"Can't beat a girl, I guess," Charlie laughed.

Ginny's gaze wandered to the window and searched for a snowy owl. However, there was no animal to be seen. There were only two garden gnomes wrestling each other. She looked back at her brothers who seemed to be communicating with a series of looks. Cho was talking quietly to Molly, who was pouring the ring on the Asian's ring on her finger.

"Want hear some fantastic news?" Charlie inquired.

"You and Cho are getting married?" Bill replied with a smile.

"We are! I'm hoping in a couple months we can pull off the wedding."

"Why so quickly?"

"Err… I don't want Mum to know I got her pregnant," Charlie said with a small laugh.

"You got Cho pregnant?" asked Ginny in shock.

"Not so loud!" Charlie hissed. "You want Mum to flip?"

"You know, Charlotte and your kid will be only nine or so months apart," Bill said fondly. "Too bad they won't be in the same year at Hogwarts."

"They could have given the professors hell!"

Not feeling up to discussing Cho being a permanent part of the Weasley family, Ginny snuck off up to her room. She gripped her pillow tightly in her arms and fell down onto her bed. She closed her eyes. Sleep came easily for her. Before she knew it, she was in dreamland.

Author's Notes – Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I feel horrible about it. I feel horrible about the horrendous grammar also! Don't point it out, I'll only make me upset. I thought you'd rather read a grammar-filled chapter than wait another week to read a better chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Don't forget to review! Also, everyone who reviewed the last chapter can go to my livejournal and read replies!


	10. The Other Black

Chapter Title – The Other Black

Ginny was growing restless. Another month passed without any word from Harry or even Hedwig. Wherever she went, the mirror that Harry gave her was always with her. She constantly stole glances at it whenever she could, hoping that one time she would see Harry Potter's face. Instead, she only saw her worn self. She looked utterly different than she had the previous year. Huge bags resided under her dull brown eyes. Her red hair was always tousled and pulled back in a messy ponytail. Her skin was pale and sunken and there was no doubt that she lost a considerable amount of weight.

It was towards the end of April, during breakfast, when a snowy white owl came souring into the Great Hall and made its way towards Ginny. Hedwig launched her beak into Ginny's pumpkin juice. The redhead looked frantically for a note from Harry, but there was none. Why wouldn't Harry write her back? It was unconceivable, and it frustrated the hell out of her. A thousand thoughts started filling her head. Tortured. Captured. Injured. Hospitalized. Trapped. Stuck. Dead.

Ginny glanced up at the professor's table to notice that Remus and Aberforth Dumbledore were absent. Although, it wasn't surprising that Dumbledore failed to grace his presence, since he had not been at Hogwarts for nearly two weeks. It was announced that Dumbledore would be taking a holiday for an undisclosed amount of time and Hogwarts would be without a Transfiguration teacher until his return. It wasn't only Ginny who thought this was strange, but then again, Aberforth Dumbledore was bound to be the strangest person she met in her short life. The question was, where did he go when war was breaking out all over Europe?

Worry consuming her, Ginny left Hedwig and exited the Great Hall while well aware that everyone was staring at her as she went. She needed to tell Remus about Hedwig's lack of response. What if something happened to Harry? What if he was hurt… or worse? She couldn't think about it as something hard formed in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to scream, cry, and break something all at the same time just to make that feeling go away. If anything happened to him then she didn't know what she'd do. She didn't know how she could go on.

She arrived at Remus's office and knocked twice before letting herself in. There, in the middle of the room, was a man she thought she'd never see again. His posture was straight and rigid like it always was. His black hair was long and fell into his stark white face. His eyes were a darker gray than she had ever seen them. His face was contracted in what was anything but recognition. He seemed slightly nervous all of a sudden and his eyes darted around the room.

"You're not Lupin," the man said anxiously.

"Sirius?" whispered Ginny.

"Uh… no," he replied suddenly seemingly uncomfortable, "though I can guess why you thought that. I'm Regulus Black, Sirius's younger brother."

"You're dead!" she objected.

"Oh, the wonder that is a conscious." Regulus smirked. "Always had one, and it always bit me in the backside."

Ginny slowly reached her hand into her robes and clenched her wand tightly in her hand. She lowered it out of her pocket and tucked it into the sleeve of her robe. Dropping her hand to her side, Ginny's eyes flickered from Regulus's face down to his hands to see if there was a wand. Confusion filled her as she noticed the man didn't seem to be interested if he was armed or not.

"I take it you are the werewolf's secret love child or something like that?"

The blunt comment made Ginny's insides freeze. How could he be so indifferent about something so serious? He made it sound like Remus was a monster, something that he was far from. It made her blood boil for some odd reason. She felt very protective not only towards Harry, but towards Remus as well. Remus had been there for her in the past year, fully understanding what she felt and what she was going through. Remus just wasn't any adult or professor to her… Remus and Ginny were friends.

"Ginny Weasley," she said callously. "Would there have been a problem if I was a werewolf?"

"It would not affect me, dear, so why would I care?"

"What do you want?"

"I am looking for Sirius Black," he said aloofly. "My brother, you know. There is something we need to discuss that is of the utmost importance."

_He doesn't know. He doesn't know. He doesn't know._ The words echoed in Ginny's head. How couldn't he know? It was all over the British papers, "Mass murderer Sirius Black was proved innocent shortly after his untimely death in the unspoken Department of Mysterious in the Ministry of Magic." How couldn't he have seen it?

"Sirius is dead…" she whispered.

"Pardon me?" Regulus's eyes opened wide and his body slumped slightly forward from his rigid position.

"He died in battle."

Regulus didn't say anything. He stood in the middle of the room looking as though he was remembering something horrible, something that was buried in the back of his mind. His eyes were glossy and his mouth hung slightly open. As though he realized what he was doing, he snapped back to his proper self.

As though on cue, Remus Lupin came strolling into the office. He abruptly stopped at the scene before him with a look of alarm on his face. His eyes shifted from Ginny to Regulus back to Ginny. Slowly, he closed the door and made his way into the room, his hand reaching down to grip his wand.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Mister Lupin, long time no see. I am sure that you are well, due to the fact that you have a very well paying job. It has not been since you were the ripe age of seventeen. Remember, we both had obligations of the prefect position under the leadership of Potter and Evans."

Ginny was confused. It was as though Regulus was talking to Remus as though they were old friends, only in an unnecessary proper tone. Ginny felt a hand grip her shoulder and gently pull her backwards. She could feel her back hit Remus's chest. Ever so slightly, his grip tightened and his jaw locked. She'd never seen the look that graced Remus's face before. His eyes were narrowed and dark. His lips were pulled back in a slight sneer. His cool composure was gone and replaced what Ginny thought was anger.

"Vaguely," Remus replied coldly. "I heard you died."

"The illusions between life and death are shadowy if not impossible to see."

"You have always been so cryptic, Regulus. Your views on what was right and wrong have always and will always remain confused within your head. Tell me, why are you here blowing your nice cover of being a man who was pulled out of a river back in 1979."

"That was not me in the river." Regulus smiled softly. "Just one of the many delusions that I and a colleague of mine orchestrated."

"Colleague?" questioned Remus. "You mean fellow Death Eater, I'm sure."

"Fellow Death Eater who wanted what I wanted," Regulus corrected. "A way out of the mess we created for ourselves."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Would you believe me if I told you?" he challenged. "I think not, Mister Lupin. You see, my colleague and I have been in contact with each other since the events of last spring."

"Last spring? You mean when Severus Snape murdered Albus Dumbledore?"

"Precisely."

Ginny looked up at Remus and then towards Regulus. She was trying so hard to follow what the two were talking about. She could tell there was bitterness in the words that Remus spoke and there was a proper elegant in the words that emitted from Regulus. The two were so different, but yet both seemed to be lost and deprived.

"I heard of Sirius's demise." Regulus sighed.

"I am sure you have heard of many demises."

"Not really," he replied. "America really does not supply the news of the happenings of Europe. Though in the _Daily Wizard's Tribune_, they did talk about how the Dark Lord was back and reigning tyranny all over England."

"Who exactly is your colleague, Regulus?"

"Why Severus Snape, of course."

_A silver mist emitted somewhere behind the two teens and dashed its way through the bars. Ginny turned her head – as a sharp pain shot through her whole body – to see that Snape was standing behind them with a very pale third year boy leaning up against his side._

_Ginny's eyes drooped, but she fought to keep them open. The Gryffindor tried to speak to Snape, but found her throat oddly dry. Her whole body felt as though it were on fire. Ginny found the strength to ask, "What are you doing?" Snape turned towards her with a mild look of shock on his face, but it quickly left to be replaced with his usual sullen sneer._

_"Saving your life, Weasley," he answered coldly as he shot another silver mist from his wand._

_"You're a murderer," Ginny hissed in a low voice. "You murdered Dumbledore."_

_"Potter didn't see what he thought he saw," Snape retorted bitterly. "His mind cannot even begin to comprehend what he doesn't understand. Draco, leave her. We have to go. The Dementors should be arriving soon."_

Every since that day when the annihilation of Hogsmeade occurred, Ginny couldn't help but think that maybe – just maybe – that Severus Snape really wasn't working with the Death Eaters. He saved her life. Why would a Death Eater want to save a sixteen-year-old girl labeled as a blood-traitor? It didn't make any sense.

"You think telling me that you are in good connections with Severus is going to make me believe you are a good man?"

"Believe what you want, Mister Lupin."

"So, you're saying that Snape was ordered to kill you but he didn't?" asked Ginny. "Because you two were the black sheep in the Death Eater circle. You two wanted out of the ranks so Snape gave you another chance to live?"

Regulus looked over at the small redhead, a slight glimmer shining in his yes. It was the same look that Sirius gave her so many times at Grimmauld Place when she was fourteen. It was unnerving but comforting at the same time. The two brothers were more alike than anyone ever gave them credit for.

"Severus was ordered to kill me. He told me of the plot. I took care of some unfinished business before I was to be killed. I knew that Severus would have to carry out the deed. There was no use for both of us to be dead." Regulus paused to take a glance at Remus. "Severus, however, had other plans. We murdered a Death Eater by the name of Brent Paddock. Severus found a way to prevent the Polyjuice Potion from wearing off – something about isolating several of the ingredients so that they could not react with others. Anyways, Mister Paddock became me. We threw him in the river and waited out for someone to find him. Luckily, we did not have to wait long."

"Sirius was devastated," Remus commented. "He and James went to the river that day. They saw your body. Sirius thought he had failed you in some way. That he failed to keep you safe and to keep you from making the worst decision in your life. Now, he will never know that he didn't fail you."

"_Remember, remember, the fifth of November_," Regulus quoted. "Ironic, is it not?"

"What do you want?"

"I know something about the Dark Lord that I am not sure anyone else does."

"The Horcruxes," Ginny supplied.

"Ginny!" Remus hissed.

"He knows. The necklace. R.A.B. It was all you. You were the one who destroyed it. I found it in Grimmauld Place."

"Smart girl." Regulus smiled a tight smile. "Where is the necklace now?"

"I don't have it." Ginny suddenly felt very insecure. "I sent it to Harry Potter."

"Harry who?" he questioned. "Potter? You don't mean to tell me James Potter had a son. Oh, good Merlin. What has the world come to?"

"Ginny…" Remus trailed off.

"It's okay, Remus. I trust him."

Ginny turned to look at Regulus, a small smile dancing on her face. If he knew about the necklace, then he probably knew about the other Horcruxes. He could destroy them. He could hurry up the process of getting rid of Voldemort. Regulus, Ginny concluded, would be the key asset that would bring down Lord Voldemort forever.

It was hours later that Ginny laid in her bed in the girl's dormitory thinking about everything that transpired earlier that day. The Order of the Phoenix was notified about Regulus Black, and it was decided to allow him entrance. He would be the newest member of many in the next several years. He – like Ginny suspected – would be a key asset in bringing down Voldemort.

She rolled over in her bed, clenching her pillow close to her. She didn't want to go to sleep. She didn't want to watch Harry dying in her head again. All she wanted was this horrible year just to end. So many people had died; so many lives had been ruined. She wanted to see Harry again, to be in his arms. She yearned for his lips and his shy boyish smile.

Jumping out of her bed, Ginny made her way out of Gryffindor Tower. Regulus was staying in the Room of Requirements for the night. The next day, he would be banished to Grimmauld Place just like his brother had been only a couple years before. Ginny finally made her way to the Room of Requirements, luckily not being caught. She knocked once to have the door open on its own.

The room showed no sign of life except the blazing flames in the fireplace. The room was decorated in heavy wood and Slytherin green. In the middle of the room was a small round table with two chairs surrounding it. In the center of the table was a stone basin which Ginny quickly recognized as a Pensieve. Curiosity filled her as she quickly made her way towards it. Bending over, Ginny found herself suddenly in a dark, smelly bar.

"A beer for me and a martini for the little lady," a tall man spoke with a smile on his face.

Ginny turned around to look for Regulus. Sure enough, he was sitting in a booth with a glass of alcohol. He twirled it and watched the liquid swooshing up the sides. His hair was shorter and kept in a tame fashion. His clothes were Muggle and clearly very expensive. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top and the collar was smoothed perfectly. His black suit jacket barely had any wrinkles in it.

She made her way closer to the table to see another man was sitting in the booth across from Regulus. The man made her stop dread in her tracks. His black hair was shaggy and fell into his eyes. A 5 o'clock shadow graced his pale face. He wore jeans and a t-shirt that said _Bombing Goblins_ on it with a picture of the band below it. A leather jacket hugged his torso. A half empty glass was clenched in his hand as an empty one sat idly on the table.

"You dug a hole for yourself, Reggie, that's all I got to say," Sirius said sarcastically. "I told you to stay away from Mother and her pureblood mania. Did you listen? Oh, of course not! As Mother says, 'Sirius is just an ungrateful nuisance that doesn't know what he's talking about.'"

"Siri, please, I am asking you, as your baby brother, to help me out."

"Reggie, it's too late to help you! You're already lost!" Sirius hissed. "Once you're in Voldemort's little circle of maniacs, you can't get out."

"Some great big brother you are," Regulus snapped. "A whole lot of dung you talk. I remember when you ran away. _You_ told me that _you_ would help me. _You_ swore _you_ would be there. You weren't though, _were_ you?"

"I can't help someone who is already lost, Regulus."

"I am trying to make things right." Regulus sat the glass down on the table. "I do not know why I even bothered. Clearly, your new life of defiance is suiting you all too well."

"Oh, don't bring me into this."

"You have been in this for a long time!"

"I can't help you, Reg." Sirius stood up while throwing a few colored bills onto the table. "I offered help to you before you were marked. Now, you're marked and quite frankly I want nothing to do with you."

"Turn your back on me like you turned your back on Mother and Father then!" Regulus rose out of his seat. "That is what you are good at! Whenever something gets a little hard, you make a rash decision and shut everyone out."

"Piss off, Reg!"

"You know it is true! Look at how you treat everyone around you! You do not even let your best friend in. He goes around trying to pick up the mess you always seem to make. If it were not for Potter, I doubt you would even still be here. I would not be surprised if you find yourself in jail in the near future."

"Oh, don't even pretend like you know what I'm going though, Reggie!"

"Well, whatever it is, it is not as bad as the position I am in now. I could be dead tomorrow for all you know. Then how would you feel?"

Sirius didn't say anything. He stood there for several seconds looking his little brother up and down. Taking a huge breath, Sirius turned around and walked out of the bar with the door slamming behind him. Ginny stood next to Regulus, watching as tears burned his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to reach out a hand to comfort him when she was suddenly thrown into a new memory.

She was standing next to a man with a hood on so that his face was barely visible. They were standing by a river with a small boat out in the waters. There were several men pulling a body from the water. Ginny heard something curse to the right of her only to find out it was Sirius Black standing next to a man that looked almost exactly like Harry.

"Son of a bitch," Sirius hissed. "This is all my fucking fault."

"Padfoot, let's go," James Potter pressed.

"I told him I wouldn't help him because he was already marked. Now the bloody bastard is dead!"

"Calm down, Sirius."

"No, you calm down!" Sirius shot back.

"I am calm!" James retorted. "Look, let's just go. He's dead and there's nothing that you can do now."

Sirius turned his back on his best friend. His eyes were narrowed and his face was ghastly pale. His lips were drawn into a thin line. His hands were in fists as his shoulders slumped forward. All of a sudden, his leg came swinging out and kicking over a bench. He grabbed the trashcan and threw it across the ground.

"Having fun?"

Ginny spun around to see Regulus Black standing behind her. He grasped her arm. Soon enough, Ginny stood in the Room of Requirements with the Pensieve gleaming with Sirius attacking everything in sight. She turned to Regulus who was standing calmly next to her with his back straight.

"They're both dead for the same reason," blurted Ginny. "You can stop this – all the murders and the torturing. You know where the Horcruxes are! You can help Harry!"

"Miss Weasley, I do not claim to be an expert in Horcrux destroying."

"How'd you get the necklace?"

"The Black family house elf, Kreacher, was a great advantage that I had."

"Kreacher?"

"How much do you know about the cave that the necklace was taken from?" Regulus questioned.

"I didn't know where it came from. I didn't even know it came from a cave."

"My dear girl, the necklace was highly protected by Inferi and a potion that causes you to relive horrifying memories. To get the necklace, you must drink that potion. Kreacher drank the potion and became more… deranged than he already was. The person, or house elf in my case, would became very weak and experience things that happened that they would never want to remember. I am not quite sure what Kreacher saw, but it seemed to have traumatized him more than I had anticipated it would."

"You can stop this war."

"Like I said, Miss Weasley, I do not claim to be an expert."

"You know more about destroying them and the dangers that they hold than anyone else still alive that would be willing to help us."

"Miss Weasley, I only know a couple of the Horcruxes."

"That's more than nothing!" Ginny protested. "Please, you don't know how much you could do. You want to be redeemed and actually live your life? Help us get rid of Voldemort."

"I will soon be in the Order, Miss Weasley, and I will help the Order to the best of my abilities." Regulus grabbed the Pensieve. "I will do nothing less nor nothing more. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"I suggest you scamper off to your dormitory. I am sure that the other Gryffindors are wondering where you have gotten to."

As Ginny left the room, a weight lifted off her shoulders. The worry she felt for Harry seemed to decrease. She knew that he would be safe. She knew he was alive. Even though Hedwig returned without a reply, even though Voldemort was out for Harry's blood, even though everything that could go wrong was going wrong, Ginny suddenly had hope. Not just hope for herself and Harry, but hope for the whole Wizarding community.

Author's Notes – Okay, so I know that it has been ages since I last updated, but I tell you school is the most tedious task out there. We've just started scheduling for next year – eek, AP English. That's going to be a treat. However, enough of excuses, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. I was… hesitate to post this for the longest time. I don't know if the addition of Regulus, but I felt he was necessary. So please, tell me what you think of the new developments. Also, excuse the horrible grammar. I wanted to get it up for you as quickly as possible. So, please, do leave a review because you did take the time to read it.


	11. The Unexpected

Chapter Title – The Unexpected

One day in May, all of Gryffindor Tower found itself rudely awakened to the sound of a thunderous blast. The sixth year girls looked towards the window to see a shower of colors filled the sky. Ginny swung her legs over the side of the bed and practically ran towards the window while every other girl found themselves unable to move from their beds. Ginny reached the window and looked out it to see several dozen figures draped in black robes with white masks covering their faces – she felt sick to her stomach.

How did the Death Eaters get through the wards so easily? Was there another breach in security? Did another professor fail to be faithful to Hogwarts? Did Remus know? Did McGonagall? Were they fighting? Were they winning? Did they need help? Without thinking, Ginny ran over towards her wardrobe and quickly changed into jeans and shirt, grabbed her wand, and bolted out of the dormitory.

Almost every Gryffindor loitered in the common room or on the stairs up to the dorms. Some were biting their nails, others whispering frightfully to one another, and others were just as white as a ghost. Ginny scanned the crowd until she found Neville and immediately raced over towards him. The two looked at each other and instantly understood what the other wanted to do. There was no turning back. Someone had to help. Someone had to fight. The two, with their wands clenched in their hands, marched towards the entrance to the tower.

"Professor Lupin said no one was to leave," a third year piped up.

"What Lupin doesn't know can't hurt him," Ginny snapped.

The redhead grabbed Neville by the wrist and continued to march out of the tower. The blasts were coming more frequently now, a couple even making the castle move under their feet. They raced throughout Hogwarts looking for anyone they could find. It was merely five minutes later when they noticed Luna Lovegood standing up against a wall looking at her nails in interest.

"I thought you might be coming," she said aloofly. "Slower than I thought, though."

"Let's go," Ginny said tensely.

The three friends marched through the castle with their wands clenched tightly by their sides. Booms and blasts could be heard with every step they took. Their hearts hammered in their chests. They were all scared. They knew that even though they might die, they would be dying for a cause.

Ginny, Neville, and Luna reached the entrance hall. The main door was closed tightly, but they all knew that Aurors were out there fighting and possibly the professors. Ginny was the first to act. She stepped forward, pointed her wand at the door, and jerked her arm back. Amazed, Neville and Luna watched as the grand door started to unlock itself. Ginny felt their eyes burning into her. She didn't dare look back. She didn't know what possessed her to open the door. She didn't even know what spell she used to open the door. That didn't matter, however, because the door was opened and the three students could see that the Battle of Hogwarts was already underway.

"_Crucio_!"

Ginny watched in horror was her brother Bill fell to the curse. He twitched on the floor and bit his lower lip so that he wouldn't scream out in pain. Snapping out of her trance, Ginny pointed her wand at big blonde-haired man. There was a smile of joy twisted upon his face as he watched Bill wither.

"_Expelliarmus_!" she hissed, hitting the Death Eater flying.

Ginny ran out Hogwarts and straight into the heart of the fight. Bellatrix Lestrange was there fighting both Tonks and brown-haired Auror. Fenrir Greyback was there also with his mouth clamped tightly around an Order member whom Ginny vaguely remembered as Hestia Jones. Remus and McGonagall were both there, fighting side by side. Moody and Kingsley were fighting off at least five Death Eaters by themselves. Charlie and Cho were also there, throwing curses in every direction. What was sickening was to see Fred and George fighting as well with their faces more serious than Ginny could ever remember seeing them. Ginny turned; more Death Eaters were emerging from the Forbidden Forest with a trail of Dementors following.

"_Imperio_!"

"_Incarcerous_!"

"_Avada Kedavra_!" An Auror collapsed on the floor.

Ginny pointed her wand at a Death Eater and yelled, "_Stupefy_!" He went down like a tone of bricks. She turned and pointed her wand at another Death Eater when someone grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards. Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest as she turned around to see who had grabbed her.

"Get_ out _of here." It was a Death Eater. "_He _wants_ you_!"

"Snape?" Ginny questioned but man turned and ran off towards Remus.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Several Aurors shouted at once towards the Dementors who were now attempting to kiss anyone they could get their hands on.

Ginny rushed towards the left away from the Dementors. She pointed her wand at a Death Eater and casted a Bat-Bogie Hex at them. She kept running. Red light – Neville was already down. Another red light – McGonagall was down. Ginny turned around and shot a disarming spell at a Death Eater, turned and shot it again. The two masked men fell to the ground. Green light – Dedalus Diggle was dead. Finally, a Death Eater fell.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Ginny shouted at the top of her lungs and saw for the first time that she had a corporeal Patronus.

Ginny would have let out a cry of triumph at finally being able to see the form of her Patronus, something that she wanted to see ever since the DA. However, it was the form of her Patronus that horrified her. A huge, silvery basilisk slithered through the mass of people and glided towards the Dementors, snapping it's gigantic jaws at them to make them draw back.

She couldn't bear to see her form any longer as memories of the chamber flooded back to her. She turned her head and watched as Remus fell to the ground, bleeding from the mouth. His eyes fluttered and weakly, he pointed his wand at a Death Eater and whispered a spell that shot out a red jet of light. The Death Eater deflected it easily, pointed his wand at the werewolf, and shouted, "_Crucio_!" Ginny stumbled back. _No_. She couldn't watch Remus be tortured. She pointed her wand at the Death Eater, but before she could utter a word, a spell hit her from the left, causing her to fall to the ground.

A Death Eater stood over her with a sinister smile etched upon his face. He laughed and said, "_Cru_­-" when a spell hit him from the back. He fell down onto Ginny and pinned her to the ground. Regulus Black stood over her with anger evident in his eyes. He hauled the Death Eater off Ginny and helped the girl up from the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Helping," Ginny replied.

"More like trying to get yourself killed," he snapped.

"At least I'm trying." Before he could say anything else, Ginny ran off towards Remus, who was still lying on the floor with his eyes closed.

Ginny kneeled down beside him and gently touched his cheek. He was still warm. She whispered his name and lightly tapped her professor, mentor, and friend on the cheek. _Please, wake up_, Ginny cried in her head, _please, just be all right_. Remus didn't move nor respond. It broke Ginny's heart in two. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. He had been there for her and Harry… how could he die?

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

Ginny turned to watch another Auror fall to the ground. The Death Eaters were winning. Reluctantly, Ginny abandoned Remus's side and ran towards the right with her wand out. The first Death Eater that she had a clear shot at, she hexed. She shouted, "_Furnunculus_!" which caused the wizard to cry out in pain as boils appeared all over his body.

"_Expelliarmus_!" The voice made Ginny's insides freeze.

She whipped around and saw Harry Potter standing at the gates of Hogwarts with his wand out and a look of determine etched onto his face. Ron and Hermione were right behind him, their wands held up high. Each one was evaluating the scene before them. Ginny was lost in Harry, not being able to move or notice the battle going on around her. It was then that Harry's gaze landed on Ginny. His mouth opened slightly as his eyes glazed over. His brows furrowed. Then, his gaze left hers and looked behind her. His face quickly turned to that of horror.

"GINNY!" Harry shouted as he started to walk towards her. "GINNY!

Before she could turn around, utter a spell, or do anything at all, Ginny felt a spell hit her square in the back. Pain unlike she had ever experienced filled her. She felt like she was falling into a pit of nothingness. She felt herself hit the floor like a tone of bricks. She couldn't move; her vision was blurry. She tried to call out to Harry, but couldn't find her voice. _Harry_, her mind screamed, _Harry!_

"GINNY!" Harry sounded so far away. Why was he so far away?

Someone grabbed her from behind and hauled her roughly up. She blinked and saw Harry running towards her with his wand out. Then, she felt everything squeezing together as though she was being sucked through a vacuum. Everything then went black. No more pain. No more shouting. No more fighting. No more Harry.

Ginny moaned. Her body felt as though it were on fire. Her eyelids felt so heavy that she was uncertain if they would ever open again. A hand touched her face and softly caressed it. Something didn't feel right about it. She didn't know who was beside her, but she had a sickening feeling about it because she was so cold and she was on something so hard. This wasn't right.

"Wake up," a gentle female voice encouraged her. "It's all right now."

Forcing her eyes opened, Ginny saw a very pale woman who looked vaguely familiar. Her blonde, matted hair hung loosely around her face. Her eyes were dark and scared looking. Ginny tore her eyes away from the woman and looked around the room. Her breathing quickened as she noticed she was in a dark and dreary room made of cement and bricks.

"Where am I?" Ginny's voice was hoarse and it hurt like hell to talk.

"I'm not exactly sure," the woman replied sadly.

"Who are you?" She turned to look at the woman again.

"Emmeline Vance," she introduced herself. "Who are you?"

"Ginny Weasley."

"Molly and Arthur's daughter… oh, dear Merlin!"

Emmeline Vance. Emmeline Vance. The name sounded so familiar but Ginny just couldn't place it. Her head was pounding and her muscles burned. Emmeline Vance. Emmeline Vance. Then, it clicked. She was a member of the Order. She died. She was murdered two summers ago after the Ministry finally admitted Voldemort was back. She was dead. How was she alive? Wasn't she dead?

"You're dead," Ginny stated.

"What?" she questioned. "How could I be dead when I am sitting right next to you?"

"The _Daily Prophet_. I remember, it said you were murdered by a Death Eater over a year ago."

"You- you mean Dumbledore and the Order aren't looking for me?"

"Not that I know of."

"But Severus Snape… he was the one who- who took me. He said he had to… that he was sorry!"

"Snape's a Death Eater."

"He's a spy," Emmeline shot back.

"He murdered Dumbledore," Ginny replied.

Emmeline Vance's face turned so pale that Ginny was afraid she just might faint. Surely, Voldemort or his Death Eaters would have taunted her about Dumbledore's death. Ginny turned away from the woman as she started to weep. She forced herself to sit up even though her whole body was against it.

"Ms Vance…" Ginny trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"When?" she demanded through her tears.

"June 1997."

"What's the date?"

"It's May 1998."

"I've been here for nearly two years," she whispered, "and Dumbledore's been dead for nearly a year. Who took over the Order?"

"Alastor Moody."

"And Hogwarts?"

"McGonagall is Headmistress. Horace Slughorn took over Potions. Remus is the Defense professor."

_Remus_. Her stomach dropped and her heart broke into two. What if he was dead? What if he wasn't the Defense professor any longer? _Harry_. He was all right. He was fighting. What if he wasn't all right anymore either? Ginny couldn't take it. She needed to know if her family, friends, and Harry were still alive. She didn't think she could bear it if any of them died.

Ginny looked around the small room again, feeling completely miserable and depressed. She pulled her knees to her chest buried her head into her legs. She wanted to go home. She felt an arm snake itself around her. Ginny looked up to see Emmeline comforting her. They were together on this. They only had each other to get out. They had hope now. The Order and Ministry would search for her and then both of them would be saved.

"What happens here, Ms Vance?" Ginny whispered, fearing that she already know the horrible answer.

"Call me Emmeline, please." She smiled down at the teenager, but the smile quickly disappeared. "I suspect I'm here because I was – am an Order of the Phoenix member. What happens within these walls is horrific. No one should experience anything like this, especially not someone your age."

Emmeline looked haunted, frightened, on edge. It made Ginny nervous. There was no doubt in her mind that torturing went on wherever they were. She wondered if Emmeline had cracked and revealed Order secrets. She wondered if there were any other witches and wizards locked up in _this_ place that were thought to be dead.

"Are you the only prisoner?" Ginny voiced her thoughts.

"No," she whispered.

"Who else is here?"

Ginny waited for an answer, but Emmeline didn't reply right away. She looked to the left at a solid brick wall as though contemplating whether or not Ginny was too young to know of such horrors. It frustrated the redhead since it was her generation's war as much as it was Emmeline's.

"I don't exactly know," she responded softly. "I've heard screams sometimes. I've passed people before getting… interrogated, but I can't remember who."

"Is Sirius Black here?" asked Ginny.

If Sirius were alive, then Harry would be so happy. Ginny knew she was grabbing at strings, but if Emmeline was presumed dead, then why couldn't they have been wrong about Sirius or anyone else who were supposed to have been _murdered_? What if Dumbledore was really alive? No, it was foolish to think such a thing. _Emmeline said Snape was the one who took her. Snape was the one who was supposed to have murdered Dumbledore_. No, it couldn't be truth. Then again, who knew what Voldemort was exactly capable of?

"I don't know." Emmeline snapped Ginny out of her musings. "How did you get here?"

"Hogwarts got attacked. Somehow they got pass all the wards and started a scrimmage right outside of the castle."

"Doesn't surprise me," Emmeline whispered. "I've heard some Death Eaters talking about getting into Hogwarts. _You-Know-Who_ wants Hogwarts, Azkaban, and the Ministry badly."

"This is unbelievable." Ginny wanted nothing more than to cry. "Why would he want me?"

"You're the girl who opened the Chamber," Emmeline said. "Why wouldn't he want you?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Dumbledore has told the Order quite a lot about you and Harry Potter. He knew Potter was the primary target, and he assumed you would be secondary target, scared your parents a great deal."

"They'll probably so worried."

Ginny could imagine her mother in tears, and her father heartbroken. They had already lost Percy due to his arrogance, but to lose their only daughter at Voldemort's hands. She knew it would totally break her parents. She could see her mother gripping the old clock from the kitchen, staring at her name to see if when it would move from mortal peril to dead.

The door to the room burst opened and four Death Eaters came strolling in without masks and in black, billowing robes. They marched forward towards the two women. Two of them grabbed Ginny around the arms and dragged her towards the door. Emmeline jumped up and started screaming, thrashing around to try to get to Ginny. One Death Eater pointed her wand at Emmeline and said, "_Crucio_!" causing her to fall to the ground in pain.

Ginny tried to find the strength to fight, but her whole body ached. She let out a small cry, but it was washed out from all the screaming. It seemed like she was being dragged forever down endless corridors. Finally, they reached a wooden door with the dark mark burned into it. Ginny felt sick as she was dragged through the door. Upon entrance, she was thrown to the floor at the feet of Lord Voldemort.

"Hello, Sweet Ginny." He bent down and ran a finger down the side of her face. "Welcome to Riddle Manor."

She scrambled back, breathing hard. She looked around the room to see several Death Eaters watching her intensely. Bellatrix Lestrange was amongst them, standing to Voldemort's left. Next to Bellatrix was a man with dark hair and a sullen face. Next to him was a slightly younger man that looked nearly exactly like the other – were they perhaps brothers? Next to them, was a balding man who Ginny barely recognized as Peter Pettigrew from the pictures Remus showed her early that year. To Voldemort's right stood a stiff Severus Snape. His eyes were staring almost sadly at his former student. Next to him was Narcissa Malfoy, who refused to look at Ginny but was instead glancing from the floor to Snape. A thin man with a pointed face stood next to Narcissa. Next to him, was Fenrir Greyback, who watched Ginny hungrily.

"Won't you say hello to my Death Eaters?" Voldemort gestured briefly behind him.

The two men that dragged her into the room joined the line behind him. Both of them were wizards she didn't recognize. Ginny, unconsciously, scooted back more. She was petrified of what would happen. No one knew where she was. No one would come to help her. She was on her own without a wand in a room filled with Death Eaters and Voldemort. Her odds of survival were looking very dim.

"The Order will not stop until they find me." Ginny found her courage as she slowly stood up.

"The Order will not look for a dead girl." Voldemort laughed. "Nott, Avery, fetch me the girl."

The two wizards who dragged Ginny in turned and disappeared through a door behind Greyback. Snape turned his head to look at the door briefly before turning back to look at Ginny. His eyes burned into her as though trying to tell her something important. Whatever it may be, Ginny didn't know. Soon enough, Avery and Nott came back into the room with a teenage girl gasping out sobs.

"Have you ever heard of Polyjuice Potion, Ginny?" asked Voldemort with a twisted smirk worked upon his face.

"I won't give you any of my hair!" Ginny shot back.

"You don't need to, you insolent girl." Voldemort turned to his left. "Rodolphus, care to do the honors of shoving the potion down the filthy Muggle's mouth?"

"Polyjuice only lasts an hour!" Ginny shouted as the man next to Bellatrix Lestrange walked towards the crying girl.

"You ignorant brat!" Voldemort yelled. "Do you have any idea what I could do? What technology I hold? You think me stupid of the ways of magic? _Crucio_!"

Ginny fell to the ground in horrific pain. It felt as though she was being stabbed by thousands of white-hot knives. She screamed at the top of her lungs, not being able to stop herself. It seemed as though the pain would never cease. She wasn't even aware that Voldemort pulled the curse off her. She was still screaming in pain, tears pouring down her cheeks.

When Ginny found herself able to move, she looked up to see Voldemort waiting patiently for her to stand. Ginny, however, didn't know if she could stand. Her whole body still burned. She watched as the man named Rodolphus forced the potion down the girl's throat. She screamed as her body slowly turned into Ginny.

"Severus, force the potion that will immobilize the Polyjuice," Voldemort commanded.

Snape reached into his robs and pulled out a small vial. He walked slowly towards the girl as though regretting every step he took. All of a sudden, he changed. He started to walk briskly towards the girl, shoved her head back, and poured the vial down her throat. He pocketed the vial and stepped back into line as Voldemort pulled out his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Voldemort shouted.

The girl fell to the ground in a heap. Ginny couldn't bear to see her body dead on the floor. She turned away as a small sob escaped from her lips. Voldemort had no intentions of killing her anytime soon. In her mind, she could see herself in a long road of pain.

"Now do you believe what I am capable of, Young Ginny?" Voldemort smirked.

Ginny just sobbed, unable to say anything. Arms wrapped themselves around her and dragged her out of the room. In that moment, Ginny never wanted to die more in her life. However, she would not give up. She couldn't. Voldemort could watch her struggle, but he would never see her fall.

Author's Notes – Wow, it's been a long time since I updated, but this chapter was really hard to write. I'm not good at battle scenes, as you can tell by my pathetic attempt. I hope it's okay. I'll try to update quicker next time, but I will need lots of encouragement – hence, I want lots of reviews.


	12. The Horrors of a Prisoner

Chapter title – The Horrors of a Prisoner

It felt as though her body was on fire. She was well aware of her screaming, of the pain, of the sneers, the chuckles of glee. She knew that they didn't mean to kill her, but to break her, make her betray those who she was closest to – her loved ones. Did they think that she would really give up? That she would break? If anything, she would die first. Then again, she wanted to die more than ever before in her life.

The spell lifted. Ginny was sprawled on the floor breathing heavily. This was her hell. She could deal with being locked up with Emmeline, but when they came to take her, it was unbearable. It was only the third time they'd taken her. The third time she had been tortured. However, it was only the second time that _he_ questioned her about the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts, and Harry Potter. She hadn't broken yet, and that was worth something… wasn't it?

"Tell me, dear, where is Harry Potter?"

The only comfort she felt was knowing that Harry was still alive and looking for her. She believed he was looking for her. Voldemort may have fooled everyone with the other 'dead' Order members, but there was something that he had not foreseen when he decided to take Ginny. In the kitchen of the Burrow was a clock with her name on it. The arm would be pointed at "Mortal Peril" until she died. Then, and only then, would her arm disappear from the clock forever. Oh, Ginny had hope that the Order would figure out Voldemort's plan. They had Regulus who knew of the immobilizing Polyjuice. Then Snape… the man was bound to be on her side, wasn't he? He saved her before. He would save her again.

Her eyes wandered until she found her former Potions professor. He stared at her blankly, his lips formed in a thin line. Their eyes locked. Ginny pleaded silently to him. He would understand. He would save her. He would save everyone. Snape shifted his gaze away, his jaw tightening. Next to him stood Draco Malfoy whose eyes were closed so that he wouldn't have to witness the scene in front of him. They were good people – Ginny knew it in the pit of her stomach.

"Sweet Ginny," Voldemort whispered as he knelt down in front of her, "I don't want to hurt you. You could be great. You have the potential to be great. I could make you great. You can live a happy life as long as you devote your loyalty to me. I can overlook your blood traitor past. I can overlook your friendships with Mudbloods and half-breeds. I'm willing to forgive you, Ginevra, give you power."

Ginny shook her head slowly as pain erupted in her neck. _No_, she would not follow him. _No_, she didn't want power. _No_, she wouldn't betray her friends or family. _No_, she wouldn't turn in Harry. How could he ask those things of her? Did he not know her at all? Wouldn't he look into the person he was going to abduct and torture? Apparently not.

"I know what you are capable of, Ginevra. I know of the Chamber of Secrets and how easily my younger self consumed you. I only wish I could remember what happened that year. If only…" Voldemort reached out and gently stroked the side of Ginny's face, "don't you want to go back to feeling safe as you were with the diary? You spilt your heart into my diary, Ginevra. You trusted me. Don't you trust me now?"

Ginny could remember all too well the diary incident. Oh, how she trusted Tom. Oh, how she loved Tom. Oh, how everything was all too perfect whenever she talked to Tom. He understood her, was patient with her. He helped her. He befriended her. He made her feel that she wasn't just Ron's _little_ sister who had a _terribly _embarrassing crush on _the_ Harry Potter. He was nice, kind, and loving. His words were soothing and charming. Oh, if she only knew then what she knew now.

Voldemort reached under her chin and jerked it upward forcefully as her neck exploded with pain. She tried not to wince but failed terribly. His patience with her had diminished into nothing. His red eyes bored into her as though trying to see something that he hadn't seen before in her. Then, it happened. All the memories came spilling into her head, and she couldn't stop it.

"Tom, please. Tom…where am I?" Tears spilled down an eleven-year-old Ginny's face. "Where are we? Tom! Please, just talk to – to me. Tom!" 

_Ginny fell to the floor in a heap in the Chamber of Secrets. Blackness surrounded her. She could hear a faint laughter ring in her ears until that too was gone forever. Her body felt heavy as though she had died. She was unaware of everything around her. She was trapped in her body, screaming to be let out._

_Ginny was then sitting in Gryffindor common room with Hermione by the fire. The fire was slowly dying. They were chatting about whom they liked. Oh, how the two girls would stay up until the break of dawn talking about Harry Potter and Ron Weasley – the two loves of their lives._

_"I give up, Hermione. He doesn't see me as anything but Ron's little sister."_

_"Give him time, Ginny. He's been through so much. I think you just – you just need to show him what you're really like. Be yourself around him and don't become mute when he walks into the room. Once he sees the real you, I have no doubt that you two will be snogging each other senseless."_

_The girls' laughter rang throughout the common room as it faded into a scene with Ginny and Harry sitting by the lake under a tree. Harry leaned up against the tree with Ginny's head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He smiled, his eyes lighting up. She kissed him on the cheek. Then, he turned and caught her mouth in a full-blown kiss._

_The scene, once again, shifted into Grimmauld Place. She was sitting in the living room by herself on the mouth-eaten cough late at night with a cup laced between her two hands. Sirius Black sat next to her, his arms draped across the back of the couch. His gaze watched Ginny carefully as something flickered in the back of his haunted eyes._

_"I see the way you look at my godson," his voice cracked slightly. "It's the same look that Lily used to give James."_

_"I don't give him any look," Ginny protested, shifting slightly on the couch._

_"Denial," Sirius chuckled. "Same thing Lily said when I asked her about James."_

_"I live for denial."_

_Sirius barked out a laugh as the image shifted to Ginny and Harry in her bedroom in formal clothes during Bill and Fleur's wedding. They were on her bed, both looking slightly uncomfortable. She was picking at something on her comforter as Harry sat stiffly next to her._

"_No one can know where Ron, Hermione, and I are going," Harry spoke softly. "You can't tell anyone."_

_"I won't," Ginny answered automatically._

_"You can't owl me, because I don't want to compromise Ron and Hermione's lives."_

_"I won't."_

_"I'll write you as often as I can to let you know we're safe."_

_Ginny nodded and uttered a soft, "Okay."_

_"I need you to do something for me."_

"NO!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs.

The connection between Voldemort and Ginny broke. Her head felt heavy as it fell to the ground, smacking into the hard tile floor. Voldemort stumbled back onto the floor himself with a look of triumph shining in his eyes. He was so close, so so close. Ginny let out a small sob. He knew how to get the information he wanted. He found her weakness.

"Take her back to her room," Voldemort ordered as he stood up and brushed his robes off. "I'm through with her today. I have more important things to tend to."

Two pairs of arms linked themselves under Ginny's arms and hoisted her up. The two Death Eaters dragged her towards the door, not even trying to get her to walk on her own. She then heard Voldemort ask, "The other one is on his way?" She tried to listen to the response, but her head was swimming. Ginny just wanted to sleep forever and never wake up. She heard the doors open and vaguely noticed she was being dragged through them.

"Ginny?" A familiar male voice screamed her name. "Get the fuck off her!"

Ginny's head spun violently as she tried to figure out who was shouting. She turned her head to see a face, but only saw two black robed men had pushed a third man against the wall, all faces were hidden. Then, all she could see was black dots forming in front of her eyes. She heard the male shout faintly, "If you hurt her, I swear I'll kill you!" Then, the dots rapidly grew bigger until she passed out – everything forgotten.

The next thing she knew was a hand tapping the side of her cheek and something cold pressed against her lips. Her body felt on fire, and she felt oddly violated. She quirked an eye open to see Emmeline's pale, worried face hanging over her own. The tapping stopped, and the hand immediately flew to her head and started to smooth her hair down.

"Drink, Ginny, you are probably greatly dehydrated."

Ginny opened her mouth to reassure the woman when she felt warm liquid pouring itself into her mouth. It tickled her throat, causing her to go into a coughing fit. She shot up, her body protesting, and coughed the water out of her mouth. Emmeline shook her head and dabbed the water off the teenager's face.

"You need to drink, Ginny."

"You're trying to drown me," Ginny objected through coughs.

"What did they do to you this time?" Emmeline asked quietly. "Did they hurt you much?"

"Just the usual," she replied.

"Your head was bleeding when they brought you back."

"Hit it on the floor, I think."

"What did he do?"

"He – he went into my mind. Saw things that I never wanted anyone to see."

"Anything of importance?" Emmeline questioned.

"Sort of… I don't think he fully understand the context of them though… not enough information."

Emmeline nodded sadly, her face grim, her lips in a straight pale line. She handed Ginny the glass. Although not feelings like eating or drinking, Ginny took the glass offered to her and sipped it to make the older woman happy. As she put the glass down, something flickered in her mind. The man. He was shouting her name.

"I – I saw someone I knew," Ginny spoke slowly. "At least, I think I know him."

"Who?" pressed Emmeline.

"I didn't see his face." Ginny shifted her weight as her muscles screamed for her to stop. "He saw me though. He shouted my name… told the Death Eaters to leave me alone and that he'd kill them if they hurt me."

"You have no idea who it could be?"

Tears burned Ginny's eyes. What if it was one of her brothers? What if it was Remus? What if it was her dad? What if it was Harry? They couldn't be there. This place, whatever it was, was the most horrific place imaginable. She would die if anyone she loved were brought to this hellhole.

"We _will_ get out of here." Emmeline reached over and gently laid a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "This can't last forever. You said yourself, your family knows you're not dead."

"What if that's not enough?" Ginny voiced her fears. "Who would look for us… here?"

"It could be a place on the Order's list. If not right now, then very soon."

"I just wish I knew where here was," she whispered as she tried to hold her tears back.

"We'll know soon enough." Emmeline sounded as though she were trying to convince herself more than Ginny.

Ginny moved so she could rest her back on the hard wall. Dropping her head back, she scanned the room to try to find a way out, although the amount of looking never did help. There was something about the room that made Ginny convinced there was a way out. There just had to be.

"Ginny?"

She turned her head to see that Emmeline was looking at a brick that protruded slightly out. Emmeline forced her fingers to get a good grip and slowly pulled the brick out of its proper place. Ginny crawled over towards the wall, a spark of hope filling her.

"Either this wall was built in a hurry, or it was built a long time ago," Emmeline observed.

Now that Emmeline mentioned it, the brick walls were crooked and uneven. The Death Eaters must have built the cells in the basement of a house. The interrogation room and the other hallways up the stairs were not made of brick. The walls upstairs were weathered and the off-white wallpaper was peeling in many places. Down where Emmeline and Ginny stayed, the bricks looked almost new.

"Do you think we could make a small hole?" Ginny questioned as she tried to pull another brick from the wall.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm small, I could fit through there, get out of here, and run for help." Ginny tugged the brick that wouldn't budge. "I can save you and whoever else is trapped in this place."

"If you get caught, they won't hesitate to kill you."

"They won't kill me," Ginny stated confidently. "They need me. I'm the only one in the whole world who knows where Harry Potter is. Voldemort won't take the chance of finding him without me."

"You're taking a risk. You could die."

"There are some things worth dying for," Ginny whispered as the words that Sirius Black said over two years ago came flooding into her mind.

Finally, the brick slipped loose, allowing Ginny to pull it out and set it aside. Knowing that she was defeated, Emmeline started to help Ginny pull the bricks out one by one. Within ten minutes, they had built a hole that only the smallest of people could fit through. Ginny, who was quite emaciated from not eating a good meal in months and has barely eaten in a week, was able to fit perfectly through the hole.

"Put the bricks back. If anyone sees them, they'll know something is up," Ginny commanded from the other side of the wall.

"Ginny, be careful," Emmeline whispered as she slowly started to put the bricks back.

"Thank-you," she whispered, "for taking care of me and such. I'll get you help. I promise."

Ginny got up and started down the crooked corridor, trying to remember the way to the main level. Her mind was foggy and the walls looked exactly the same. How could she not remember the way? _You were too busy trying to fight them_, a voice retorted in her head. She had to find the way before someone found her. She had to remember.

Voices. Faint voices could be heard from not far away. It sounded like they were arguing with one another. Ginny turned and looked frantically for a place to hide. They would find her. They couldn't find her. A little way down, there was a small, dark inlet. Ginny raced towards it and crouched down as far as she could. The voices and footsteps became louder and clearer.

"I am telling you, Potter has been inducted into the bloody Order, Severus! He is not fighting this battle by himself anymore! Something has to be done!"

"The rules of very clear, if I might remind you, that Potter has not the criteria to become a member." Snape's voice was stern and angry.

"Dumbledore is not the one running the Order anymore. He was soft and easy and never accomplished anything. Moody is different. He takes action. If he had it his way, Potter would have been a member since he was fifteen!"

"May I remind you that it was only a matter of time before Harry Potter was taken into the Order?" a female voice spoke coolly. "It does not matter if Potter is in the Order or not. He has the resources nevertheless. So, please, Rabastan, kindly lower your voice and stop shouting about a senseless topic."

"Rosamund!" Rabastan exclaimed. "Have you no shame?"

"Shame, Rabastan? You call it shame, whilst I call it being rational!"

"Severus, would you kindly tell my younger sister that she is being ludicrous?"

"I do not divulge myself in the petty squabbles that you and your siblings seem to find themselves in," Snape snapped. "I am not and will never be your idiotic interpreter when you can easily communicate to her yourself. I find this sort of childish behavior sickening. How old are you, Rabastan?"

"He is forty but acts as though he is still a teenager," Rosamund supplied.

"Rosamund, I would appreciate if you didn't think me stupid," Snape snapped again.

"I say we stop this insane mind game the Dark Lord is playing and just get the information about Potter out of Weasley and be done with it!" Rabastan shouted.

"You will leave the girl alone!" Rosamund warned. "You will do well to follow the Dark Lord."

"I agree," Snape spoke, "surprisingly enough with your sister. Why don't you run along and see how Bellatrix is doing? I'm sure Rodolphus would want you looking after her when he is away on his mission."

"The bitch gets pregnant, and we all have to stick our heads up her arse to please her. What is wrong with that picture? I would have thought the Dark Lord would have been infuriated with one of his being _indisposed_."

"You thought wrong then," Rosamund sneered. "Run along and make sure our niece or nephew isn't getting poisoned by Bella's addiction to alcohol and cigarettes."

"One would think she would stop when pregnant."

"I am sure that Bella does not understand the meaning of being healthy for the sake of a child," Rosamund retorted. "She never had the manners to care about anyone but herself."

Ginny heard watched as a man in billowing black robes strolled past her hiding place. She caught a glimpse of his face. If she hadn't known who it was, she would have never guessed a Lestrange. He looked a lot healthier than he did when his picture was displayed in the Daily Prophet not long after his escape.

"Have you heard of Regulus?" Rosamund questioned as she and Snape came into Ginny's view.

Rosamund was a figure of beauty. She was as tall as Snape was with her back straight and chin held up high. She was poised with a white face that looked as though it were made of porcelain. Her black hair was sleek and smooth running without a hair out of place down to her shoulder blades. Her eyes were dark and warm with the pale light flickering in them.

"I knew of Regulus long ago. I'm the one who saved his pathetic life, and he was the nerve to come back and risk both our behinds."

"Yes, well, sometimes the best of people loose their astuteness."

"Cryptic as always, aren't we, Rosamund?"

"I would not be talking if I were you, Severus." A smile spread across the woman's face. "I know of secrets one must keep in order to be a successful spy, unless you have forgotten that we are both in the same boat."

"You are still trusted amongst the Ministry and quite possibly the Order. I am a marked man that will soon find Azkaban if I show my face," Snape shot back.

"Come now, Severus, I know that you are powerful. You will only find yourself in Azkaban if you allow them to take you!"

"Have you slipped the information?"

"The Aurors will know by the morning of the Dark Lord's plans to take Azkaban. They will also know of this manor being headquarters until Azkaban is seized."

"You think they'll listen and not think it as a trap?"

"I am very persuasive when I want to be, Severus, rest assured." Rosamund smiled again.

"Yes, well, I worry."

"Worry too much." Rosamund laughed. "Have you forgotten that I learned my tricks from the best?"

"If you are going to go on about Black again, save your breath."

"If not for Sirius Black, I am sure I would be dead long ago."

"Black might have helped you all those years ago, but I don't see _you_ helping him now."

"Rest assured, Severus, I have everything covered."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Snape demanded. "Tell me what outrageous thing you are planning now."

"Do not fret, Severus, I have lived this life too long to not know what I am doing."

Rosamund's heels clicked on the tiled floor as she made her way where Rabastan went not ten minutes before. Snape shouted at her to stop once more, but the woman pretended as though she went temporarily deaf. Snape took after her, frustration evident in his features.

Ginny slid from her hiding place with shaky legs. She was sure now that Snape was on their side and that the mysterious Rosamund Lestrange was on their side as well. She made her way towards the direction that the two Death Eaters went. Surely, it was the way out. Although, the corridor of brick seemed to go on forever and Ginny was being to think she would never manage to get out of the dungeon.

Then, that's when it happened. A spell it her from behind, locking her whole body together as she fell to the ground. She had been found so soon after her great escape. She heard footsteps walking towards her. She prayed and hoped somehow it was Snape, Malfoy, or the Lestrange woman. They wouldn't harm her. They wouldn't tell anyone about her. They would just take her back to Emmeline and tell her to be a good girl and wait there while they worked to free her and the rest. It was too good to hope for though. Out of the corner of Ginny's eye, she saw a balding man walking towards her with his wand out. His watery eyes blinked repeatedly.

_Not him_, Ginny thought, _anyone but him._

Author's Notes – Chapter twelve is finally up! Jump for joy and burst out in song. Some of you might recognize Rosamund from 'Infinite'. However, I tell you that her fate has nothing to do with her fate in 'Infinite'. I merely needed another spy, and she popped into mind. The next chapter is going to be the best by far. I'm so excited to begin to write it. You will see all of prisoners, and the plot will thicken ever so slightly. You see some – coughs – people you thought were dead, brief glimpses of some people from the Light side. It'll be good, I promise. So now that I have you wanting to read the next chapter which isn't written up yet, I ask you all to review. It'll only take a minute of your time to do it. Tell me what you think of the shift of the story, the evil cliffhanger, and anything else. Join my Yahoo! Group, and you can read replies to your reviews you gave on the last chapter. Those should be up either later today or tomorrow at the latest. Happy Easter!


	13. The Others

Chapter Title – The Others

A balding man with a wand pointed at Ginny slowly came towards her. His arm, she noted, was made of silver. His eyes were squinty and watery as they bore into her. Perspiration shined on his forehead. She didn't need telling who the man was even though she never came face to face with him before. Peter Pettigrew was exactly like everyone always described him – a clumsy, cowardly man.

He reached out and gripped her arm as tightly as he could. Though Ginny was malnourished and weak, she fought with all of her might to get away from him. She yanked her arm and kicked her legs. She squirmed all she could. However, in the end, Pettigrew managed to push her up against the wall. Her head smacked against the brick causing black dots to cloud her vision.

She thrust a fist weakly forward, but Pettigrew caught it easily. He pushed her to the ground. Breathing heavily, Ginny tried to scramble away but arms wrapped themselves around her waist and hoisted her up into the air. Not knowing what else to do, Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs hoping that she would shock him. However, her fleeting moment of hope was squashed when the man didn't even respond to her yells.

Ginny briefly remembered being carried up flights of steps, but she paid no attention to where he was taking her. She thrashed as hard as she could but found that lack of food made her weaker than she expected. Before she knew it, Ginny was thrown into a musty old room. The floors were dusty hardwoods and the yellow wallpaper was pealing to reveal a weathered brick. The furniture in the room was covered with filthy cloths. It was a room she had never been in before.

With a snap, the door to the room shut and locked. Shakily, Ginny stood up and walked straight towards the nearest window. With her already dirty sleeve, she wiped off a layer of dust and grime from the glass. Looking out the small hole she created, Ginny saw what looked like a family cemetery. The grass was a dead brown and only weeds grew. The flowers were long dead as were the bushes and trees. In a season when everything was blooming, death only hung over her prison in a very fitting way.

The days passed slowly. Ginny plotted and planned how to get out of the room but failed at every turn. The door was locked at all times and no matter how hard she pushed her body into it but it just wouldn't budge. She threw everything she could find in the room at the window but the pane just wouldn't shatter. She searched frantically for holes in the walls but failed to find any.

The interrogations also continued, each time getting a little worse. The questions about the Order and Harry were always asked and the torturing wasn't far behind when she failed to answer him. He continued to push into her mind. The only thing she could do was attempt to think of something unimportant and hope that's what he saw. It seemed to work some of the time but she failed to keep her shield up at all times and often let things slip from her mind. However, through the torturing, Ginny begin to forget what exactly he had seen or done to her. Everything was slowly becoming jumbled within her mind. She could no longer tell reality from fantasy.

After staying in the isolated room for a fair amount of time – which Ginny assumed was a fortnight due to the sunsets and sunrises she saw – the door opened to reveal two Death Eaters. She moved towards the corner of the room. It had been awhile since she was taken to interrogation, and she feared that it would be a harsh session. Arms reached out and hoisted her to her feet and proceeded to half drag her towards the exit.

Ginny didn't have it in her to fight any longer. Fatigue, loss of hope, and aching prevented her from fighting with them. No matter how much she fought, she was always in that small room with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. However, halfway there, they changed courses. They were not going to the interrogation room. Ginny's heart started to beat fast as her eyes jolted from one side to the other. What was going on?

Before she knew it, she was being shoved into a room that she had never been in before. Although, nothing about the room seemed to register into her mind as only the people in the room stood out. They were all emancipated like her and looked tired beyond belief. A few of them looked vaguely familiar but there were two who stood out in her mind.

"Emmeline!" Ginny shouted as she scrambled towards her as fast as she could. She then shouted towards the man next to her, "Sirius?"

Emmeline ran towards her and pulled her into a hug. Tears poured down her face as she whispered repeatedly, "You're alive. You're alive." Ginny let out a sob and apologized for being caught. Over Emmeline's shoulder, Ginny watched Sirius Black carefully. His hair was long again and a beard prominent on his shallow face. She could hardly believe he was standing there alive. He looked worse than he did after he escaped Azkaban.

"Ginny," Sirius whispered with a sad smile etched upon his face.

She untangled herself from Emmeline and wrapped her arms around Sirius. She thought of Harry and how he most likely blamed himself for Sirius death. How happy would he be when he knew Sirius was alive and well? It was too good to be true.

"I saw you weeks ago. I saw them dragging you out. I tried to stop them," Sirius rasped.

"_Get the fuck off her!"_

_Two blacked robed men pushed a man up against the wall. She couldn't see their faces but the man who screamed sounded so familiar to her. She was passing out when she heard him scream, "If you hurt her, I swear I'll kill you!"_

"That was you?" Ginny whispered as she pulled back to look at his face. "I knew you sounded familiar."

"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

Ginny thought back to the torturing. She wanted to go home and never experience any more pain in her life. She would have rather died than experience one more torture session. She thought about how weak she had been. How her bravery slowly started to dwindle. She thought about how she faced her wits end.

"Could have been worse," she lied.

She knew if she revealed everything that he would do something stupid. He would attack the Death Eaters without a wand and get killed. He wasn't the most rational person in the world. She felt the need to keep him alive for Harry's sake.

"How did you get here? Emmeline was saying you were involved in an attack."

"Hogwarts. Death Eaters raided the place. I got hit and brought here." Ginny tried to recall the events but found her mind hazy.

"Is Harry all right after the attack? Did he fight?" Sirius asked frantically.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah. He was there. He arrived right when I was hit. He's fine. I- I know that because Voldemort keeps asking me what Harry was doing the past year."

"What he was doing? What do you mean?"

Ginny's breath caught in her throat. How could she tell him of Dumbledore's death and how Harry felt it was his duty to carry out the destruction of Voldemort with only Ron and Hermione? How could she tell him he gave up school for a war based solely on revenge and racism?

"He uh… Sirius, I'm sorry. I can't tell you."

"Why?" he demanded harshly.

"Voldemort can't know. He'll stop Harry before he finishes."

"Finishes what?"

"Finishes what Dumbledore started."

"Why the hell can't Dumbledore end what he started?"

"Because Dumbledore is dead." Ginny sighed.

Filling in the gaps of the two last years wasn't exactly something Ginny wanted to do at that moment. She didn't feel like explaining everything that happened to a man who had missed out on so much. It was then that Sirius grabbed Ginny's hand and jerked it up towards his face. His eyes stared at the ring Harry gave her for Christmas. A look of recognition registered on his face.

"Where did you get this?" Sirius murmured.

"Harry. He gave it to me."

"I helped James pick it out for Lily. We must have looked at rings for three hours before he finally picked this one."

"I love him, Sirius," she whispered spontaneously.

He looked at her with his eyes slightly narrowed. His forehead showed many lines of confusion mixed with age. Turning his head back down to her hand, Ginny looked around the room to see if she recognized anyone else in the room. Several men and women looked familiar. She saw a few that had went in and out of Grimmauld Place the summer before her fourth year. One caught her eyes in particular, however. She was a middle-aged woman with short gray hair. How many times had Ginny heard the woman? How many times had she heard people talking highly of her? Amelia Bones, a fair and honest woman as Tonks once described her as, was standing off to the side talking in a low voice with two other wizards - one of whom looked so familiar.

"Why are we here?" Ginny asked, wanting nothing more than to figure out an escape plan.

"They're transporting us," Emmeline replied. "I overheard Death Eaters talking. They took Azkaban a couple days ago. All prisoners are to be transported there."

"If they took Azkaban, what else have they taken?"

"Who knows?" Sirius whispered nastily. "The Ministry or Hogwarts could be taken by now. With Fudge running the country, we're all doomed."

"Fudge is out of office," said Emmeline. "After the Department of Mysteries debacle, Fudge was basically ushered out of office. Though I was taken before the new minister came into power."

"Scrimgeour," Ginny supplied.

"Auror, right?" asked Sirius as Ginny nodded. "Knew he sounded familiar. He any good?"

"Harry hates him."

"Why?"

"He wanted Harry to pretend he was working for the ministry to keep people at ease. Harry thought they should be on guard."

Sirius didn't say anything. He merely nodded as he wrapped his arm across Ginny's shoulders, pulling her as close to him as he could. She turned her head to see a sea of Death Eaters filing into the room. Deathly silence filled the room as the Death Eaters parted to reveal Voldemort walking in behind them.

"How lovely that you all are here," Voldemort stated. "I should hope that you find your new living conditions more comfortable once we arrive. I daresay that some of my Death Eaters have had the privilege of spending some time there. Their stay was amicable at its best."

"Sirius," Ginny whispered.

Death Eaters pulled out their wands and trained them on the small group of prisoners. They motioned for everyone to follow them out of the doors in which Ginny came in. She felt Sirius's grip tighten ever so slightly around her shoulder.

"Get moving!" one Death Eater shouted.

"I have a plan," Sirius whispered as the two started forwards towards the door as the other prisoners slowly started as well.

Sirius and plan were two words that should never be used in the same sentence together – or so Ginny had heard from Remus at several given times and through personal experience. He once had a plan of leaving his godson to avenge his best friends death. That wasn't exactly a plan that worked out too well. Then there were his plans of breaking into Hogwarts to kill Pettigrew. That wasn't the best plan in he world. He also planned to switch Secret Keepers and turned out giving the position to an unfaithful friend. That was a rather horrible plan as well. Not to mention his plans while in school which she had heard several of them on given occasions. All and all, Ginny didn't want to know of Sirius's newfound plan to get them out alive.

Fear twisted Ginny's insides. She focused on her breathing, hoping that nobody could tell just how upset she was. She needed to be strong, but the very idea of Dementors around her all day and night made her literally ill inside. How long would she be able to last before she cracked? She was already at her wits end and adding soul sucking fiends on her, let's just say she was doomed and she knew it.

They marched through the old manor, through places Ginny had never seen. Though, she didn't pay much attention to where they were going but to how other people were acting around her. Emmeline stayed very close to Sirius's side as their shoulders kept bumping up against each other. Amelia Bones was in the middle of the two wizards she was talking to previous. They were still talking in hushed tones and were rather close together. Two more women – one of whom looked familiar – were holding hands and stayed close together. Two men and a woman stayed in a group together but didn't talk. Then there was a man standing alone, the only one without a companion to stay close to.

The man was very old and looked so familiar that it was painful to look at him. His eyes carefully looked at each prisoner in turn. His mouth parted and said something that wasn't heard. His eyes were eerie the way they swooped across everyone. Narrowing her eyes, Ginny tried to place him.

Doors swung open in front of the small group to the outside cemetery. Death Eaters swarmed around the prisoners with at least three wands pointing at each of them. One walked into the center of the circle with several dodgy-looking items. He announced that they were Portkeys and everyone was to buddy up and take one. Throwing the objects onto the floor, he stepped out of the circle and walked back to the house.

"Take the Portkey," Sirius whispered.

Ginny bent down and took a worn shoe. Holding it out to Sirius, her mind frantically tried to understand what his plan was. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she waited for more instructions. Sirius reached out and took the shoe in his hand.

"Right before it activates," he began, "pull away and run as fast as you can. Get the bloody hell out of here and to somewhere safe. Get to the nearest wizard you trust."

"What about you? Emmeline? The others?"

"You don't expect me to pull away too? I'm not going back to that – that _place_ if I can help it."

"The others?"

"I don't have a mass escape plan," Sirius said dryly with a fake smile. "Survival of the fittest and all that."

"We can't leave them."

"You want to die?"

"You sound like a Slytherin," Ginny shot back.

"There's nothing we can do. The best we can hope for is that they survive until we get help."

"What about what you said before? That there were things worth dying for? Doesn't that mean anything to you now?"

"If I was alone here, I'd most likely try to play heroics by being a distraction. The truth of the matter is, I have you here to consider. I will not be the reason that another one of my godson's loved ones dies." Sirius's eyes suddenly shifted into something dark. "I killed Lily and James. I killed his chance to be loved while growing up. I'm not going to kill the one person he loves most in life too. Call me selfish, but I'm starting to realize maybe I should put my godson's happiness before anything else."

"Sirius…"

"Please, Ginny," Sirius whispered, "let me do this. I've been a horrible godfather. I know that. I'm just trying to make some right here."

"What happened to you in there? You're values are gone."

"ACTIVATE THEM NOW!" a Death Eater screamed.

Ginny turned her head to where the voice yelled. She followed the wizard's gaze over to shadows hiding in the distance. Men and women stood there with their wands drawn. They were saved! Ginny smiled as she watched the wizards walk towards them. Spells of every color filled the setting sky.

"Move!" Sirius shouted above the commotion.

Amelia Bones and her two men motioned for everyone to follow them. Everyone moved besides Sirius, Ginny, Emmeline, and the mysterious lone man. The Death Eaters saw what was happening and tried to close back in on the group.

"Mr. Ollivander, come on!" Amelia Bones yelled for the lone man.

How could Ginny ever forget the man? The man who could recall anybody's wand by just looking at them? He disappeared before her fifth year started at Hogwarts. His shop was abandoned but there didn't look like any sign of struggle. Had he accepted his fate and simple went with the Death Eaters? Did he not fight it? Why would he willingly come?

Sirius grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her away from the Death Eaters. Emmeline was right behind them running. Turning her head, Ginny saw the one person she longed to see forever. Her arm pulled away from Sirius's grasp. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her towards him.

"Harry!" shouted Ginny.

His head snapped towards hers. Their eyes locked. Harry Potter abandoned his fight and ran towards her with a smile spread across his face. The next thing Ginny knew was being in Harry's arms and crying hard into the folds of his shirt. Only vaguely did she notice that he was stroking her hair and whispering comforting words into her ear.

"You won't believe it," she gasped. "You won't believe who's here."

"Listen," Harry pulled away, "you need to get out of here. I need to help the Order. Just - just get out of here. Go to Tonks or Remus or - GET DOWN!"

Harry pushed Ginny onto the floor and ducked himself when a flash of green came hurdling at them. Fumbling for his wand, Harry got up and shot a spark of red. Ginny looked to find Sirius only to see her heart drop. A couple Death Eaters had Sirius contained and were likely to take him to Azkaban any second.

Without thinking, Ginny boasted herself up from the ground and raced towards them. She heard Harry screaming her name, but she paid no attention. She had to save him. She had to help him. She had to do anything that she could. Half way there, she heard an awful pop and all three of them were gone. Ginny screamed.

Out of nowhere, she grabbed her around the waist. She felt her whole body squeezing together causing her to barely breathe. Then, she fell onto a cold, stone floor. A hallway made of weathered stone was all around her. Down the hallway were cells with metal bars. Ginny stopped breathing as she watched a couple Death Eaters throwing Sirius into a cell. She watched as she saw Emmeline in the cell next to Sirius. Amelia Bones was on the other side of the hallway. A couple more Death Eaters appeared with the familiar looking woman. They had caught them.

Ginny was pulled up from the floor and dragged down the corridor. She was thrown into the cell across from Sirius. He stared at her as though he had never seen her before in his life. She crawled towards the back on her cell, drew her knees to her chest, and sat in the corner of the dark cell. Several more pops could be heard.

Through teary eyes, Ginny watched Sirius pacing around his cell. His face was whiter than she had ever seen it. Eyes shifted onto Emmeline who sat on an old cot with her head in her hands. Everything happened way too quickly. It was as though the Death Eaters were expecting an attack - that or they were well trained in pressure situations.

"My name is Amelia Bones. I'm the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement department." Ginny got up and walked towards the front of her cell. She looked to her left to see that Amelia was in the cell right next to her. "Who are all of you?"

"Delilah Edgecome, Department of Magical Transportation."

"Amos Diggory, Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Ginny craned her neck to get a look at the man. Sure enough, he was the man who had been talking in low voices with Amelia Bones who seemed so familiar to her earlier. How her mind went to mush in a matter of a couple weeks of being tortured.

"Griselda Marchbanks, Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority."

"Mafalda Hopkirk, Improper Use of Magic Office."

"Tiberius Ogden, former Wizengamot member and currently retired."

"Theodore McLaggen, Healer."

"Arnold Peasegood, Accidental Magical Reversal Squad."

"Emmeline Vance, Charm Specialist at Gringotts."

"Ollivander, Wand Maker."

"Ginny Weasley, Hogwarts Student."

"Sirius Black, Ex-Mass Murderer."

Emmeline gave a soft laugh at Sirius while Amelia Bones smiled softly. They were the twelve prisoners. They were the only twelve people who could relate to one another. The only people who could fully understand what the others were going through. Their friendships were in the making, long friendships that would last a lifetime.

"I've been trying to figure out why we are all here," Amelia spoke softly. "I can see some of us but others I am clueless as to why you are here. Such as you Miss Weasley, so young and so useless to You-Know-Who."

"Harry Potter is my boyfriend. I was once in possession of his diary. I think I make a pretty good torture victim for him."

"Mr. Black, what on earth would You-Know-Who want with you?" Amelia turned her attention.

"I'm a royal pain in the arse."

"I don't doubt that."

"Order member most likely."

"You're in the Order of the Phoenix?" Amos Diggory asked in shock. "Moody never said you were."

"I was in Dumbledore's Order not Moody's," Sirius said dully. "I'm taking it you were never in Dumbledore's Order."

"No, no, I wasn't."

"Who else was in the Order of the Phoenix?" Delilah Edgecome asked.

"Amos, Mr. Black, Miss Vance, and myself I believe," Amelia spoke softly.

"My whole family is," Ginny spoke up. "All except my brothers Percy and Ron. Percy because he's a git, and Ron because he's too young. Though, Ron and I would join the Order in a heartbeat."

"Not with that mother of yours." Sirius let out a bark-like laugh.

"We need to figure a way out of here," said Amelia. "We were so close before."

"At least now people know we're alive," Griselda pointed out.

"More importantly Order members," Ginny added.

"Order members?" Emmeline questioned.

"I saw Harry there. I talked to him for a bit. He said he needed to get back to help the Order."

"That's excellent," Amelia whispered. "That's exactly what we needed."

A march of footsteps echoed in the corridor followed by a feeling of complete cold. Ginny backed up in her cell until her back was pressed hard against the stone wall. Several Death Eaters stopped outside of Ollivander's cell. They dragged him out and proceeded to walk pass Ginny's cell, half dragging him along. Dementors followed them.

_"Trust me, Ginevra. It was nothing. You just fell asleep. You didn't black out and lose any time."_

_"Tom, oh Tom, I have the feeling I did something dreadful."_

_"You were only sleeping, Ginevra, don't get carried away now."_

_"Oh, Tom, but I have - I have blood on my hands."_

_"Ginevra, it's merely paint."_

_"I don't remember painting."_

_"Perhaps you were just sleepwalking. I would never lie to you, Ginevra. If I thought you had done something wrong, I would tell you in a heartbeat."_

The next thing Ginny knew was fall backwards onto the hard floor. She heard someone scream her name. He sounded oddly like Harry. She felt her eyelids close. They were too heavy to reopen them. Her head swam, and she could no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy.

_"I didn't mean to do it. Riddle made me, Harry."_

Author's Notes - It's been ages since I have updated, and you don't know how sorry I am about that. I am going to be working on replying to all reviews for the last chapter next and post them up onto my group within the hour. Now, many people have been asking me to do a chapter focusing on Harry's POV during Ginny's disappearance. I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that I will write a short chapter of Harry's POV. However, since it's not actually part of the story, I will post it up on my Yahoo! Group for those who are truly fans of the story can read. I will most likely post that before I post chapter 14. That means chapter 14 will take awhile to get up. So, decide which you would like and tell me. Harry POV or just continue the story. Please, excuse my grammar mistakes. I simple want to get this out for everyone. I think you'd rather have it now than wait another week. Enjoy!


	14. The Surprising Savior

Chapter Title – The Surprising Savior

Ginny could no longer count how many days it had been since arriving at Azkaban Fortress. The days and nights dragged on with an icy coldness and horrific memories. The dementors patrolled the corridor at least once a day as well as when a prisoner was taken for interrogation. Only one person was taken at a time. Though sometimes, if it were a bad day, they would take two or three prisoners into questioning.

Everyone was starving as most refused to eat the mush they were served. Ginny, herself, had only eaten the mush once because she was so hungry she thought he might pass out if she didn't have something in her stomach. They were given dirty water that had particles in it. Though disgusting to drink, everyone drank the water they were given.

Several of the prisoners made plans of escaping. Emmeline, Sirius, Amelia, and Amos often plotted on ways to get out. They discussed attempting to find the weak spots in the cell doors to attacking the Death Eaters when going into questioning. They talked of squeezing through the bars or even making holes in the stone walls. When brought up how Sirius escaped the first time, the hopes of escaping the same way were quickly dismissed.

"I'm an illegal Animagus. I can turn into a dog. When the dementors opened my door one day to bring food, I squeezed through," Sirius explained regretfully. "They just throw the food through the bars now."

"Couldn't you fit through the bars as a dog?" Amelia inquired.

"No, they give me some sort of potion that makes it impossible for me to transform. I've tried countless amounts of times since I was captured."

The days dragged on and Ginny became a mute. She barely talked to anyone. Curled up in the corner of her cell she stayed. She was trapped in her own mind not knowing what was real and what was in her head. She had dreams that seemed so real she'd wake up screaming. She was mad, and she knew it. She hated sleep, she hated food, she hated water, she hated life. The only thought that kept her going was being with Harry. She dreamed of being with him, getting married, and having children. That's all she wanted from life.

_"Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He'll try and get me through you."_

_"What if I don't care?"_

_"I care… how do you think I'd feel if it were your funeral? And if it were my fault?"_

Ginny knew Harry was probably blaming himself for what happened to her. The words they spoke during Dumbledore's funeral swarmed around in her head. Voldemort didn't just take her to get to Harry, he wanted also because she was the one who used his diary. Perhaps he thought she knew things. Perhaps he wondered what his younger self told her to gain her trust. Perhaps he thought that she would tell the Order the information she found out to help defeat him.

Ginny didn't want to die. She couldn't give up. She couldn't die. What would Harry do if she died? She couldn't die without seeing his face just one last time… to feel him one last time… to kiss him one last time. She would give anything to be with him at that moment.

Amelia started questioning what Voldemort wanted from everyone in the room and how they responded. Maybe she was trying to figure out who cracked and who was still standing strong. The ministry workers were questioned about the government and what exactly Aurors were planning and knew. Order members were questioned about what the Order was up to, even though the information would be really outdated. Sirius admitted he was questioned about Harry but ever since Ginny came, the questioning on Harry had nearly ceased most likely due to the fact he hadn't seen his godson in over two years.

"Mr. Ollivander, what exactly does You-Know-Who question you about?" Amelia asked. "You're neither in the Order nor the ministry."

"Wands and the best way to counteract those wands," he replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you tell him?"

"The truth, of course. That is why I am so much better off than the rest of you."

"Mr. Ollivander!" Delilah Edgecombe exclaimed. "You're aiding that - that _monster_?"

"Are you a Death Eater?" inquired Amelia calmly.

"Merlin, no! I simply want to be neutral in this whole debacle," he said. "I have aided Dumbledore in the past. I am aiding He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now."

Ginny felt sick at the very mention of helping Voldemort. How could he betray the side of the light? Dumbledore? The Order? Did he not care that Voldemort tortured and murdered people? Or was he just a coward who would join the side that helped him the most moment by moment?

"Mr. Ollivander, what exactly have you been telling You-Know-Who about us and what we say?" Amelia questioned with disappointment lacing her words.

"I only answer what he asks."

"Does he ask about the other prisoners?"

"Sometimes."

"Filthy coward," Sirius muttered to himself.

It was that moment that plans of escaping and discussions of importance were discussed when Ollivander was taken for questioning. The man couldn't be trusted and Ginny was willing to bet that anyone ever regretted attempted at helping him get free with the rest of the prisoners.

The days passed on and nobody knew exactly how long it had been since they arrived at Azkaban. It seemed like weeks, maybe even months, but Ginny knew it hadn't been that long. They tried to recall how many times each of them had been taken to give a rough estimate, but it was a fruitless thing to do. Everyone's minds were so deranged some were even beginning to forget their families and sometimes who they even were.

There were nights when Ginny could hear people screaming out. Amos often cried out for Cedric, sometimes talking to him as though he weren't dead. Amelia sometimes muttered in her sleep, talking to her brother and his wife. Emmeline talked to her husband in her sleep, sometimes waking up in a suddenly gasping his name while crying. It would be late at night when Sirius would wake her up. He would be huddled in the back of his cell with his head in his hands apologizing to Lily and James for murdering them and not protecting Harry as he wept. Ginny wasn't quite sure what she shouted out or cried about in her sleep, but she had no doubt that it involved her family and Harry.

There were only two prisoners who never seemed to make a noise like the others. Ollivander was always composed and quiet. He never muttered in his sleep, cried, or called out to love ones. She didn't know exactly what he did in his cell, as she couldn't see it. The other prisoner was Delilah Edgecome. Though she often was very active in the discussions of escaping and figuring out what exactly Voldemort wanted, she was oddly calm when it came to sleeping. She never muttered or cried in her sleep. The only time she did seem to show emotion was when everyone talked about being back home with his or hers families.

One night, an eerie quietness filled the cellblock. Ginny was curled back like a cat in the corner of her cell like usual. Shaking, her eyes stared through the cell at Sirius. He laid helplessly on the hard ground of his cell, his lips moved but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The Dementors were getting to him and not being able to turn into his dog form was pure torture for him. Her gaze then wandered towards Emmeline, the only other prisoner she could see. The woman sat on her cot with her head in her hands, a position that she was nearly always in unless they were talking about a plot to get out.

A door opened from the far end of the corridor. Mr. Diggory was most likely back from being tortured. However, no cell opened and the Dementors were nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a cloaked figure appeared in front of her cell. Drawing a wand from his robes, the figure tapped the locks. Once opened, he walked into the cell and crouched down in front of her.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Weasley," a familiar voice said. "I'm going to get you out of here."

The man grabbed her by the arms gently and hoisted her up from the ground. A wave of dizziness washed over her as the man placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her to walk forward. Suddenly his breath was dancing on her neck and he whispered, "We don't have time. Move!"

Her head danced and vision swirled as she saw Sirius running towards the bars. He was shouting but Ginny couldn't understand what he was saying. She blinked to try to clear her vision as she was being led quickly through the corridors. Before she knew it, the two were outside of Azkaban as the moon shined down upon them. Turning while trying not to fall over, Ginny reached up and dropped the hood back of her rescuer.

Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

The pale boy stood in front of her with his usual platinum hair looking faded and dirty. He looked sick with huge bags residing under his eyes. He looked as worn and depressed as she felt. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever until Malfoy reached into his robes and pulled out a small tin can. Holding it out to her, she took it.

"It's a portkey. It'll take you to Hogsmeade - or what's left of it. They started to rebuild so you should be able to find someone to take you to Hogwarts."

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was raspy and it hurt to talk.

"I made a mistake by joining. I can't do this anymore. Get Potter and the Order out here. Fix this before it's too late, before he-"

Before he could finish talking and before she could say anything, she felt a familiar tug on her navel. Malfoy and Azkaban quickly swirled together and disappeared. The next thing she knew was lying on the broken stone pavement of Hogsmeade in front of the Three Broomsticks. Propping herself up on her elbows, Ginny let out a sob of happiness. She was free from Azkaban, Voldemort, Death Eaters, and torture.

The streets of Hogsmeade were familiar as the cool air brushed against her skin. Standing up shakily, Ginny made her way down Hogsmeade in her tattered, dirty nightgown. She wrapped her arms around herself as she determinedly headed for Hogwarts. Suddenly feeling like she was being watched and followed, she picked up speed and sprinted towards the castle. Halfway there, she lost her footing and fell down onto the ground. Sitting up on her knees, Ginny saw bloody dirt. She looked at her hands to see she had somehow cut them when she fell. She always noticed her knees were scraped.

"Who's there?" a voice shouted as a light floated towards the gate.

Frozen in place, Ginny didn't say another. Half because she was in slight shock to be at Hogwarts and half because she was scared of whom it might be. Her breathing sped up as her vision blurred. Shaking her head, she watched as a giant was at the gate looking out. His face paled and the lantern he was holding fell to the ground with a clank. Ginny closed her eyes at the loud noise.

"Ginny?" Hagrid rasped.

"Ye-yeah." Ginny stood up again, wiping her hands on her nightgown. "Hagrid… there's more of me… of us… of them."

Hagrid quickly unlocked the gate and was at Ginny's side in two strides. He picked her up in his arms and started off towards the castle. She tried to keep her eyes open. She wanted to see Harry and tell him about Sirius and the others. She wanted to see Moody and tell him to get the Order to Azkaban as quickly as possible before one of the captives perished. However, she felt her eyes droop and a wave of tiredness coming over her.

"Harry," she whispered as she closed her eyes and saw his face. "Harry."

"Professor!" Hagrid shouted causing Ginny to snap her eyes open. "Professor!"

Her head turned to see Slughorn and Regulus Black talking. Both men immediately followed Hagrid to the infirmary. Hagrid commanded Slughorn to get McGonagall which he did so. Once in the hospital wing, Ginny vaguely remembered being sat down onto a bed. Hagrid ran towards Madam Pomfrey leaving Regulus and Ginny alone.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" he commented dryly. "I tell you to get the hell out of the battle, yet you go running into it. Potter tells you to go find someone to take you back to headquarters, yet you go and run right into a Death Eater and taken away. Honestly, Weasley, what is the matter with you?"

"I want Harry," was all Ginny could say. "I need to talk to him."

"Yeah, well, get in line."

"It's about Sirius…" she whispered as her eyes closed.

"Sirius? What about Sirius?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she let the darkness overcome her and fell asleep. Nothing mattered in that moment. She was free. She was safe. She was exhausted. After wishing to be home after what seemed like months, she finally was. Despite how much she longed for Harry, she could not simply keep her body open for one more second. She knew she would see him. She knew by the time she woke up that Harry Potter would be by her bedside and everything would be better, happier, and lighter.

Whispering. Hushed whispers could be heard and then a sob. Ginny's ears buzzed and her eyelids felt so heavy that she would be perfectly content if she never had to open them again. She moved her neck only to feel pain shooting through her whole body. She let out a soft moan as all the whispering seemed to abruptly falter. She felt something soft grab her hand and then something push the hair on her forehead.

"Ginny, darling," a familiar female voice spoke softly with emotion. "Open your eyes. Oh, Ginny, please open your eyes."

"Molly! What are you doing?" a voice growled. "Her mind could be altered! She might be one of _them_ now."

"Oh, come now, Alastor," a different female voice said. "The girl has been through enough all ready. There's no need to punish her even more for something she had no control over."

"Check her arm then! See if she's got the mark!" the voice growled again.

"She's not a Death Eater!" a new male voice spoke. "Honestly, Moody, the girl's too bloody stubborn and daring to become a Death Eater."

"Much like yourself then, Black?"

"Give it a rest, old man!"

"Old man?"

"Enough!" a female voice said strictly. "Honestly, Alastor, Regulus, we are all working together. There's no need to fight. Molly, are her eyes opened?"

"No," her mother said sadly.

Ginny stirred again and forced her eyes open so she wouldn't worry her mother even more. Once open, she saw the blurry outline of her mother. Molly cried out, "Ginny!" and leaned forward to hug her. Ginny's body protested as pain shout through her whole body. She whimpered and her mother immediately let go.

"I – I didn't hurt you, did I?" her mother asked frantically. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry."

Ginny forced a weak smile onto her face and slowly shook her head while trying to ignore the pain. Her mother gently patted her hand as tries flowed down her cheeks. Ginny looked away awkwardly. Her mother was crying and Ginny couldn't help but want to squirm. What was wrong with her?

"Where's Harry?" Ginny managed to ask, disappointed that he wasn't there.

"He's out with some of the Order members, but we contacted him and he's on his way back," Molly replied.

"How long was I out?"

"About two days."

"How long was I gone?"

"She's not the one who should be asking the questions," Moody interrupted. "We're the ones who should be asking her the questions."

"Oh, Alastor, do you have no decency?" asked McGonagall.

"Where did Voldemort take you?" Moody ignored the headmistress and turned his attention onto Ginny.

"Azkaban."

Moody let out a noise. He claimed that he knew it and that they should have went barging into Azkaban like he wanted to a week after it was first taken. He limped towards her bed and leaned towards her over the cane he held in front of him. His magical eye went over her body. It rested on her arm for several seconds before it went to her face.

"She hadn't the mark," he announced, "but I see and smell so much dark magic on her."

He reached into his pocket, bulled out a flask, and drained the contents. He commended that Madam Pomfrey was informed that she was awake. He always said he wanted Kingsley and Remus there. He wanted the dark magic on her evaluated as soon as possible. He wanted to know what exactly was on her, how much, and why. It was as though he thought her dangerous or something. McGonagall left to get whom Moody wanted.

"Who else was there?" he asked.

"Sirius," she whispered.

"Black? Sirius Black?" Regulus stepped forward. "I was told he was dead for two years!"

"What state is he in?" Moody questioned as he ignored Regulus.

"He's pretty bad – they're all in bad shape really. Sirius – he can't transform so the dementors are really affecting him."

"Who else?"

"Emmeline Vance… Amelia Bones… uh… Ollivander – though he's working for Voldemort now-"

"What?" Molly exclaimed.

"Always weak he was. He only told Albus information because he was the most powerful wizard. Now with Albus dead, he reckons that we'll lose the war. The bloody coward! Just wait until I get my hands on him!" Moody growled once again.

"Who else?" Regulus spoke.

"Amos Diggory… Delilah Edgecome…"

"Anyone else?" Regulus pressed.

"Yes, yes. I just – I can't remember. I can see their faces, but their names aren't clicking."

Moody turned towards Regulus. The two looked at each other for several seconds but didn't say anything. Then, Regulus left leaving Moody, Molly, and Ginny all by themselves. Ginny turned away from him to look at her mother to feel some sort of comfort.

"How much longer until Harry gets here?"

"I don't know, Ginny. The message will get to him when it gets to him."

"Where is he?"

"Out on Order business," Moody replied.

"He's a – a member of the Order?"

"Unfortunately." Molly frowned. "As is Ron and Hermione. Poor dears. They shouldn't be apart of this."

"How long have they been in the Order?"

"Ever since you – you disappeared. Harry went straight to Moody, told him everything him, Ron, and Hermione were doing. He said he wanted in the Order and wanted the Order's resources. Alastor didn't have any objections. I begged them not to join, but they wouldn't listen to me."

The hospital wing doors opened and Madam Pomfrey came strolling in. She commanded everyone get out. She had a patient she need to tend to and didn't want anyone in the way. Molly promised she'd be right outside the door the whole time and when Pomfrey was done; she would be able to see most of the family. Moody and Molly left to leave Madam Pomfrey to do what she does best.

Author's Notes – Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I've been so busy lately. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter, Ginny meets Harry! Thank-you all who have given their suggestions on skipping over a Harry chapter. It's what I wanted to do, and I'm glad I don't have to do it. So many people told me that we'd most likely find out when Harry and Ginny were together again, and that's right. Next chapter is about everything that happened and what the next plan is. Don't forget to review!


	15. The Reunion

Chapter Title - The Reunion

Buzzing. An odd, soft buzzing filled the room. Something cold and rough was touching her hand. Ginny groaned. Someone very familiar called her name softly as another cold, rough thing brushed her forehead. What was going on? Where was she? Her throat burned. She forced her eyes opened and stared at a white ceiling. Coughing, she turned her head to see anxious green eyes staring at her. With a free hand, he ran a hand through his messy mop of raven hair as he let out a small, relieved chuckle.

"You're cold," Ginny whispered hoarsely.

"Sorry," he whispered back as his hand twitched on her hand.

"How long have I been out?"

"About a day," he replied with a frown. "I've been here for about eighteen hours."

Ginny nodded as a pain shot through her neck. Wincing, she stopped. Harry's face automatically turned panicked. He quickly asked what was wrong. She didn't say anything. A thousand questions were forming in her head and there was so much to tell. Her mind was mush and everything was discombobulated.

"Harry, Sirius is there."

"I know," he whispered. "Moody told me everything you said."

"Are you planning on attacking?"

"Moody wants to as soon as possible, except…" Harry trailed off.

"Except what?"

"Ginny, he wants you to be a member of the Order and tell everything you know about what happened at Azkaban."

"He's sure I'm not altered then?" Ginny asked sourly.

"Well, St. Mungo's has concluded that your mind wasn't altered with."

Ginny realized that she had been transported to St. Mungo's. The familiar infirmary was gone and replaced with a very white, sterile room. When did this happen? Her chest ached and head spun as she tried to clear her mind and figure out exactly what she wanted to say. Harry was right beside her. She wished for months that he was with her. She craved him while in Azkaban, but suddenly she didn't know what to say.

"I'm sure my mom loves that idea."

"She's already said no."

"There's his answer then."

"Moody doesn't care what your mother thinks or wants. In his eyes, in a couple months, you'll be legal and therefore can just join with or without her consent."

"I'm still not qualified to join," Ginny whispered softly.

"In Dumbledore's Order… no. But in Moody's, let's just say if he wants you, you're a member despite age."

"Are you?"

Harry smiled softly before nodding his head yes. His hand gripped hers tighter. It was then that Ginny noticed just how worn the boy in front of her was. He looked sicklier than she ever saw him before. He was pale with dark patches under his eyes. He was thin so thin that Ginny could make out some of the ribs through his shirt. She wondered just how awful she looked after who knows how long of torture.

"Ginny, what happened in there?" his voice was soft and a tint of anxious fear gripped his tone.

"He wanted information."

"About me." It wasn't a question.

"Not everything revolves around you," she snapped bitterly, harsher than she would have liked.

"Then what did he want information on?" he challenged, sounding so different than she remembered.

"The Order… the diary… lots of stuff," she murmured.

He didn't speak. He just sat there staring at her with a thousand emotions swarming on his face. He opened his mouth as though to say something when the door to her room burst open. There stood her disheveled mother. She cried out her daughter's name and rushed towards the bed. Harry stood up, his hand slipped slowly and silently off Ginny's. Her hand tingled from where his hand was… a feeling of cold, of lost filled her stomach.

"How are you? Are you feeling any better?"

Her mother reached the bed and started to smooth out the stiff hospital covers. She then proceeded to brush Ginny's hair, making it smooth across the pillow. Ginny didn't look at her mother. She stared directly pass her at Harry. He stood there staring back with his hands in his pockets.

"Ginny?"

"I'm fine, Mum."

Harry took a step backwards. A forced smile crept onto his face. She didn't want him to leave. Why couldn't her mother leave? Or perhaps, why couldn't they both stay? Harry took another step back before turning around completely and making his way silently out the door. Tears burned Ginny's eyes. The cold, lost feeling disappeared and was replaced by panic. Panic that no one could protect her. Panic that she would never see Harry again. Panic that everyone was going to die. Panic that she was going to die. She couldn't deal with it and soon she broke down crying hard against her mother's shoulder. She didn't know how exactly she ended up in her mother's arms, but she was grateful.

She spent two days in the hospital with her parents, brothers, and friends coming in and out of her room bringing small gifts and flowers. Harry came only twice, once each day. The first time he brought her flowers to brighten up the room; however, they were lost within the other mounds of flowers. The next day he brought nothing but his grave self. He was distracted and barely talked so they sat there together as he held her hand in his. She could tell he was getting anxious about Azkaban, but he wouldn't tell her anything when she asked.

The third day brought Remus, Moody, and Harry. Her mother tried to run in to stop whatever was happening, but Bill and Ron pulled her back and out of the room. Harry took his normal seat and immediately reached out his hand to hers. She took it eagerly as she longed for his hand for hours. Remus leaned over and gently kissed Ginny's forehead before taking a seat next to Harry. Moody stood stiffly watching her with piercing eyes.

"Moody wants your answer on joining the Order," Harry whispered.

"I want to help," she replied as Harry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Tell us what happened then," Moody said gruffly with no compassion in his voice.

"I was locked up with Emmeline in a house. I tried to escape. I was caught and was put in seclusion until everyone was transported to Azkaban. We tried to make plans to escapes but we couldn't."

"You escaped," Remus whispered. "How?"

"A Death Eater helped me. He said I needed to get to Harry and the Order and get them in there before it was…"

"It was what?" Moody growled.

"I don't know. The portkey took me away then."

"Which Death Eater?" asked Harry.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Ginny closed her eyes tightly. Why was it so bright? "It was the second time he's saved my life. I think maybe we can trust him?"

Ginny opened her eyes and looked at Harry. He was shaking his head in either disbelief or perhaps because he had nothing better to do. His grip loosened slightly, so Ginny turned her palm up and tightened her hand around his.

"Do you know where the cells are that you were held in?" Remus questioned gently.

"No," she replied, "but there was an interrogation room rather away from cells. I think - I think it was on the opposite end."

"Potter," Moody turned his attention away from her, "is your team ready?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I want to do this soon. Tomorrow soon if we can."

"My team's ready, would you just believe me?" Harry snapped.

"You're not really a good leader, Potter. You're more of a do-it-on-your-own kind of guy."

"The team's ready, Alastor," Remus said with a sigh.

"I want to double check the other teams. Lupin, I want you to check the emergency portkeys."

"Get well, Ginny," Remus whispered before he got up and followed Moody out of the room.

"Your team?" Ginny asked.

"I'm heading the Patronus section. My job is to keep the Dementors at bay to give the rescue team a chance to get into the compound to save the prisoners."

"Who's in your team?"

"I think you only know Remus."

Ginny nodded. She wanted to tell him not to go. She wanted to latch on to him to stop him from making a mistake. He could die there or worse. He didn't know what happened in Azkaban. He didn't know what sort of power a couple dozen Death Eaters and Voldemort held. They were dangerous, more dangerous than she had ever given them credit. They knew the perfect ways to torture people, to make them want to give up and spill everything.

"Ginny?"

"Everyone's really weak."

"I figured."

Her own bravery was betraying her. Everything since Azkaban was different. Her family, friends, the Order, Hogwarts, the community were all different. Most of all, Harry was the most changed. The fun-loving boy with the lopsided grin was gone. Harry was a man now, a man fighting in a war - a determined man who became mature all too quickly, who grew up way too fast. He was a seventeen-year-old boy who was heading a team into one of the most dangerous situations. If they died, their blood would be on Harry's hands. No matter what anyone would tell him, he would carry that burden with him forever.

"I was talking with your healers with your mum," Harry broke the silence, her thoughts. "They said you could go home today if you take it really easy."

"That's great. I want out of this place."

"I was going to take you home after our little Order talk, but your mother showed up and started to flip. Good thing we had reinforcements."

"My brothers don't care if I join then?"

"They rather you not, but they understand that you're valuable." Harry leaned back, arching his back to crack it. "Ron was the most open to the idea actually… though he did tell Moody that you're not allowed to have any life-threatening missions."

"Not until I'm better at least."

"I think you've had enough life-threatening situations to last you a couple of years." Harry stood up and pulled his hand gently away from Ginny's. "Do you want me to go get a nurse or someone to help you get changed?"

"No."

"Err… okay. I'll wait for you outside the door then?"

"I'd rather you help me," Ginny said softly.

Harry pinked around the edges. He looked behind him as though he expected one of her brothers to be there to pound him into the ground. Once he realized no one was there, he nodded. Walking over to the small bench by the window, Harry picked up a small duffle bag. He sat it down on the bed and withdrew a t-shirt and jeans as well as undergarments. He cleared his throat.

"If you don't feel comfort-"

"No, I'm fine." Harry smiled nervously before handing her the underwear.

Ginny took them with a roll of the eyes. Under normal circumstances, if she hadn't just been tortured and humiliated by Death Eaters for the past two months, Ginny would most likely be embarrassed herself. However, a simple thing such as this wasn't on her list of concerns at the moment. She slipped the garment on under her hospital gown. Her legs were shaky, and she nearly tumbled over. Luckily, Harry caught her shoulders and held her up right.

"How pathetic am I?" Ginny laughed bitterly. "I'm so weak I can't even get dressed on my own."

"You've been through a lot."

"Right," she snorted, "poor Ginny was tortured so now she's utterly incompetent."

Ginny turned her back on Harry, gripping the edge of the hospital bed for support. She could feel Harry linger behind her, unsure of what to do next. Taking a deep breath, Ginny pulled the gown over her head and discarded it to the floor. She grabbed her bra and slipped her arms through. She gathered her hair and turned her head to Harry.

"Can you fasten it?"

"Ye-yeah."

She felt Harry's icy fingertips on her back. He fumbled slightly with the clasp. Once he got it done, he ran his hands up her back and to her shoulders and then down her arms. Ginny turned around to stare at him. He was biting his lip.

"That wasn't so hard," Harry spoke softly.

"Nah, you get used to it."

"I love you. I wanted to die when you were taken. I - I didn't think I could make it."

"But you did."

"Only because I knew you were alive. God, Ginny, when your body was found… or that look-alike body or whatever, I just couldn't take it."

"The clock… that's how you knew I was alive?"

"Yeah, it was the only thing that kept me going. I knew you were out there, and I just had to find you. I was obsessed with it. I stopped my stupid parade of trying to save the world by myself. I gave all my information that I learned from Dumbledore to Moody, and then I demanded to be let into the Order. I spent all the Order resources finding you. Once I used up those resources, I went to the Ministry and applied for an Auror training position. So I got in the program, no big surprise there. But I just, I looked and searched. It was so frustrating to know you were hurting out there and there was nothing I could do."

"But you did. You found the house."

"Riddle Manor? Ginny, that was just a lucky guess. I honestly didn't think he'd go back there, but then it seemed to fit. Where else would he go? Where else did he _have_ to go? It was wasted though, because you still weren't free." He paused. "Why the hell did you run away from me? Why didn't you go to Remus or something and get out of there?"

"Sirius. Several Death Eaters had Sirius. I couldn't just let them take him so I ran to help him."

Suddenly realizing she was only in her undergarments, Ginny reached behind her to grab her shirt. She pulled it over her head and laced her arms through the holes. Harry kept an arm around her wasted waist to keep her from falling over. She then slipped her legs into her jeans, Harry keeping her balance the whole time. Once dressed, he forced her to sit down onto the bed.

"Be right back."

He left the room then. Ginny sat in the silence, looking around the room, her home for the past couple days. Hospital rooms were prisons in themselves. White, sterile prisons, but prisons nonetheless. Her gazed wandered around the room. The flowers on her nightstands were the only cheerful things in the room, but they held fake cheer. Everything seemed so dead to Ginny. Everything seemed so wrong. Why had Azkaban taken away everything she once enjoyed?

The door opened again and Harry appeared with a wheelchair. He apologized and stated it was hospital policy. A nurse came in after him to make sure she obeyed. Perhaps it wasn't policy. Perhaps he just said that to make her feel better about not being able to walk without assistance. Whichever, Ginny didn't care. She allowed Harry to help her into the wheelchair, and she let him push her through the hospital. Helpless Ginny who just wanted the world to stop, the pain to stop, everything just to stop and rewind to before Azkaban and before the war. She wanted to go back to lying by the lake with Harry during meals. She wanted to feel that happiness, the pure, simply joy of being in love.

Soon they were in an alleyway. A black Ministry car was parked there. Harry wheeled her towards the car. He opened the door and helped Ginny inside. The nurse took the wheelchair as Harry got inside, slamming the door shut. The car sped up and raced through the streets of London, dodging all Muggle cars gracefully.

Harry was leaning back into the leather upholstery with his eyes closed and his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked so old, so wise in that moment. He looked powerful, strong; he looked like everything she longed to be again.

"Why the fancy car?" Ginny whispered as she reached out and placed a hand on Harry's thigh.

"The healers didn't want you traveling magically," he responded.

He opened his eyes to look at her. His eyes searched her face before trailing down to her hand. He reached out a hand and placed it over hers. With his other arm, he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her close to his body. Ginny inhaled his scent, feeling safer than she had in nearly a year. She never wanted to leave his arms because nobody could touch her when she was with him. No one could hurt either of them. They would be safe as long as they were together.

The ride ended all too soon. The car stopped in front of the Burrow. The slanted house that looked so inviting. She stared at it in wonderment. It hadn't been since Christmas that she was there. A Christmas filled of crying. Harry opened the door and stood there with his hand extended towards her. She took it, and he hauled her tenderly out like a gentleman. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady, and the other hand was still clasped around her hand. He kicked the door shut, and the car backed up and drove off.

"Nifty."

"Very." Harry laughed.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?" He walked her towards the house as she suddenly felt dread building up inside of her.

"Tell me that there isn't a gathering in there."

"There isn't a gathering."

"Are you just saying that?"

"Luna and Neville wanted to be here. All of your brothers are there as well as their significant others. Your parents as well."

"Anyone else?"

"Not that I can think of, but you never know."

"Don't leave me?"

She knew it was a pathetic question, a weak one. Somehow, Harry just made everything more bearable. She felt that somehow he knew on some degree what it was like in Azkaban. He had been tortured by Voldemort before. He had seen death. Though he couldn't completely comprehend, he understood well enough.

"I can't stay all night, but I'll stay for awhile."

"Why can't you?"

"I have Order business to attend to. Moody wants everything perfect for tomorrow."

"Oh," was all she could say.

It was a coming home party of sorts. Molly coddled her like always, asking if she needed anything or if she needed to lie down. Hermione hovered just as much as her mother. Her brothers watched over her protectively. Several times Bill, Ron, Charlie, or the twins would go to the windows to make sure nobody uninvited was lingering nearby. Luna was aloof. She pretended as though Ginny was simply away for personal health reasons and didn't treat her any differently - and for that she was grateful. Neville tried not to say anything in fear that he would hit a nerve. Fleur tended to Charlotte mostly, saying little to Ginny. Cho was there but left after only twenty minutes stating that she had work that needed to be done. Harry, oh Harry, sat next to her, walked with her if she needed to go somewhere. He was there for her but said little. He was distracted and anxious about the upcoming day.

"Harry!" Remus entered and called Harry away.

"I'll be back," he said before trotting off to his mentor, his friend.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked.

"I was tortured for months, Hermione, of course I'm great."

Perhaps sarcasm wasn't the best way to talk to Hermione.

"Honestly, Ginny, we've all been so worried about you. Harry and Molly, oh Ginny, they nearly didn't make it."

"So, you going to Azkaban tomorrow?" Ginny changed the subject quickly because she couldn't bear to hear about how she tore people up with her absence.

"What? Oh, yes. Of course."

"What team are you on?"

"I don't think we're supposed to be discussing this." Hermione became very uncomfortable.

"Harry told me he was heading the Patronus division," she replied flatly.

Hermione shot a look at Harry before turning to consider Ginny. Was she thinking of lying? Or maybe she was just going to walk away and say nothing? Would she tell the truth because she felt Ginny was _old_ enough to hear it? Would she feel that Ginny deserved to know that after everything she went through, because if not for her, the rest of Voldemort's captives would die?

"Charms," she whispered.

"Charms?"

"We need a way to get to Azkaban without being detected," Hermione spoke uncertainly. "We can't take boats or anything because we would be spotted. So the charms division is going to freeze the sea and allow everyone to march towards Azkaban."

"Anyone I know on your team?"

"Flitwick is heading it. Bill, Fred, and George are on the charms division."

"What about Ron?"

"Ginny…"

"Tell me. It's not like I can go."

"Air attack. Charlie's in control up there. Katie and Angelina are going with him. If Harry's division misses a Dementor or if a Death Eater sneaks up behind them, the air division will get them."

"Harry mentioned a rescue team. Who's part of that?"

"Kingsley's heading it. Tonks is going in too. Most of the Aurors are in the rescue team."

"What about Regulus? Moody?"

"Moody is stationed on ground outside of Azkaban. He's monitoring everyone with these headsets. Muggle headsets charmed to do exactly what's needed of them actually. Regulus Black… he's not allowed to go on the mission because quite frankly no one trusts him."

"So what is he doing then?"

"Staying with your parents, Cho, and Fleur to help those who are wounded and use the emergency portkey. Also help those that are rescued."

"So I guess I'll be with my mum."

"Yeah, you can help that way I suppose."

"So Harry is probably the second dangerous team then?" Ginny asked nervously even though she knew the answer.

"Unfortunately. I'm worried about him though because I know he's not going to stay with his division."

"What do you mean?"

"Harry's going to go into Azkaban, I just know it. He's going to want to help Sirius himself. Lupin and Harry have been fighting about it. Harry wants Lupin to head the Patronus division so that he can go in with the Aurors. If it wasn't for Moody being so adamant about Harry being a leader, I think Harry would just transfer himself. He went to Moody stating that he was in Auror training and therefore should be with the rescue team, but Moody doesn't want him going into the compound."

"Do you know why?"

"I don't know. I think that perhaps Moody wants to get Harry ready for a leadership position, to head the Order after he dies. The way Moody and Harry talk in the meetings is just amazing. Moody's already preparing him for the head position."

"How so?"

"Moody makes Harry start the meetings and conclude them. He makes Harry give his thoughts and his ideas on what should happen. The first couple of meetings Moody did all the talking. Now it's Harry who sits to Moody's right doing all the talking. It's eerie. Harry's grown up so much these past couple years."

Harry walked over towards Ginny and Hermione looking grave like usual. He said he needed to leave and finish the preparations for tomorrow's raid. He apologized. He kissed Hermione lightly on the cheek before turning to Ginny. Hermione bid her goodnight before walking off towards Ron.

"Will I see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, I'll come over for an early breakfast. We're leaving at eight so I'll have time."

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Ginny."

Harry leaned forward and kissed Ginny chastely on the lips. Feeling panic rise up within her, Ginny reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. She placed her head over his heart. The heart thumped as it pumped blood through his body. His chest was warm even though the rest of him was oddly cold.

"Get some rest okay?" he whispered in her ear right before kissing the top of her head.

"I love you," Ginny whispered back as she held the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I know. I love you too."

"Where exactly are you going to be?"

"I'm going over to headquarters for a meeting. Then I'm off to my flat for some sleep."

Once Harry left, Ginny had no desire to sit around in the living room chatting with anyone. She went towards her mother, gripping furniture to help her keep her balance. She stated she wanted to go to bed but needed help up the stairs. Molly, more than happy to lend a hand, led her upstairs. She aided her daughter into changing and helped her slip into bed.

"I love you, angel," Molly said softly as she kissed Ginny on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're home."

"I love you too, Mum."

It was her first night that she didn't have a sleeping draught to help her sleep. Therefore, she had nightmares. She had horrific dreams of her being tortured. She dreamt of Sirius and Emmeline and how they were dying. She watched Harry die in her dreams. She watched everyone die before she was finally murdered last.

Ginny woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. The images of death and anguish were fresh in her mind. Her mother ran into the room with Ron at her heels. They couldn't calm her down. Ginny thrashed around in bed. She screamed for Harry and fought against the embrace her mother attempted to keep her in. It got to the point that Ron ran out of the room and to Harry's flat.

Ginny vaguely remembered Harry entering her room. Her mother stepped aside to allow Harry entrance. Ginny cried and continued to call for her love. Her voice was nearly broken at this point. Harry grabbed her arms and as gently as he could pushed her down onto the bed. She quieted down after she realized he was there and alive. She was calm after an hour and half of panic. Nearly back asleep, Harry tried to slip away, but Ginny grabbed him. Tears burned her eyes as she asked him to stay. She watched Harry's heart break in front of her. She watched him become helpless. He turned towards her mother to get her consent before climbing into her bed and pulling her into his arms. She was finally safe.

Author's Notes - I know it's been ages since I updated, but I have been so swamped with school. However, here' the next chapter. Please excuse my mistakes as I only did a quick revision because I know everyone has been anxious to read this. I ask for those who are still reading to review and help keep me better on track of updating.


	16. The Rescue Attempt

Chapter Title - The Rescue Attempt

Ginny woke up the next morning feeling warm and safe. Her clock said it was a quarter pass six. Turning, Ginny saw a body lying next to her. The man was on his stomach, his face turned away from her. His black hair was a mess. He was shirtless and four long, thin scars went from his left shoulder down to the small of his back. She watched his breathing, the slow rise and fall. She couldn't resist the urge to touch him because somehow he didn't seem real to her. She reached out and gently touched the tip of one of the scars.

The body stirred immediately upon her light touch. The face turned into the pillow and then faced her. His green eyes were filled with sleep and a day's stubble graced his chin and cheeks. He smiled slightly and reached a hand towards her. She gripped it into her own. It was a perfect morning, but why was Harry with her? Wasn't he going to headquarters and then off to his flat?

Just as she was about to ask what he was doing in her bed, the events from the previous night crashed into her brain. She remembered her nightmares and how she screamed nonstop for Harry for nearly an hour. She recalled him how he came to her and spent the night with her to keep her calm, to keep her safe. She wanted to cry at the love she felt but crying was something she did all too often the past week.

"Morning," he greeted her.

"Morn-" she stopped because her throat ached.

"Yeah, don't try to talk. You pretty much killed it last night."

Ginny nodded as she felt guilt build up in her body. She dragged Harry out of bed at an ungodly hour because she had a bad dream. Pathetic should really be her middle name. Harry noticed her shift in mood and propped himself up awkwardly on his one arm as the other was still clenching Ginny's hand.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I- I've just been really out of it since - since Azkaban." Ginny looked away because for some reason she couldn't face him.

"I need to get ready. I don't think I'm going to make breakfast."

He slipped his hand away from her and got out of her tiny bed. Ginny looked towards him to see him pick up his jacket from her chair. He slipped it on and zipped it up. He walked back to the bed and kissed her gently on the forehead before saying goodbye. She watched him walk out of the door, silently closing it behind him.

She pushed the covers off her violently and bolted for the door. She slipped out and ran down the stairs just in time to see Harry walking towards the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to tell him to stop. She ran towards him. He heard her coming and turned to look at her with a puzzled look etched across his face.

"Gins?"

"Don't go," Ginny begged him as she gripped his hand tightly. "They don't need you."

"Ginny, please, don't start," he whispered back. "I would do this for you… you know I would. I can't leave Sirius there."

Ginny bite her bottom lip tightly until she tasted the sour liquid in her mouth. She had always been independent, a strong fighter. Harry, however, made all of her strength leave her body. How could he not? He was strong enough for the both of them and ever since Azkaban Ginny was never quite the same. She flinched at the slightest touch, jumped at the softest noises, and questioned herself more than she had ever before.

She knew she had to let Harry go, that he had a job to do. An Auror in training, an Order member, and Moody's most valuable person in the struggle of war, he was all those things and more. Good people resided in Azkaban because of Voldemort, people who didn't deserve the fate that was thrown at them. Harry had the strongest Patronus of the Order and was automatically named the leader of the Patronus Division. He was to lead a group of Order members into Azkaban first, driving the Dementors back to give the rescuers the perfect chance to strike the Death Eaters and liberate the prisoners.

"I'll be alright," he said as convincingly as he could. "I just got you back… I'm not going to leave you."

"Promise me that you'll only lead your group in and then get out of there."

"Ginny…"

"Harry…"

"You know I can't promise that."

"Harry, please."

He sighed loudly as he gripped her shoulders gently. His jaw tightened as he stared into her eyes. She stared back into his. His brilliant green eyes were dull now and didn't hold the light that they used to. He didn't have that boyish face anymore but that of a man's. Mature and brave, Harry would fight until the end and help anyone he could without caring about what happened to himself in the process.

"Sirius isn't dead, Ginny, he's alive and a prisoner of war. You can't honestly expect me just to sit back and not help him."

"You are helping him by giving the rescue team a chance to get into the compound."

"Ginny, I want to be there."

"What if you get hurt?"

"What if Sirius dies again?"

"What if you die?"

"You're being trivial."

"Oh, so your life is just trivial?" Ginny shot back as she fought the tears that were threatening to fall.

"That's not what I said."

"That's what you implied."

"I'd rather die than have Sirius die!"

"Why? Because you feel some sort of duty to him? He never saw _you_ as his duty!"

"I need to leave."

"Harry…"

"I need to leave right now."

He let go of her shoulders and took a step back. She looked at him pleadingly. Why couldn't he just stop being the hero for once in his life? Why couldn't he be content to do his part and not everyone else's? She loved him too much. She didn't know what she would do if he died. How could she live without her rock, her touchstone, her constant?

"I didn't mean it like that. I just… I'm upset."

"I know. Believe me, Ginny, I know you're going through something… something that you won't talk about. I just - God, Ginny, it's just so frustrating to see you so helpless and not know exactly why."

"Be safe."

"This is how you dismiss this? You always do that. What the hell happened in Azkaban?"

"I was tortured for information. End of story."

"I highly doubt that."

"What do you want me to do, Harry? Relive every single terrifying detail to you? Spill out my heart over how I was weak enough to be nearly broken? How I had the chance to leave a month before I got out but got caught again? Do you want me to cry about how I watched people I knew get tortured? Do you want to hear about how I watched them drag back Sirius and Emmeline and everyone else looking like death after they had been tortured for hours on end for information they wouldn't give or didn't even know? How we had a spy among us who gladly sat there with us and told Voldemort everything we said and did? Is that what you wanted to hear? Huh? Or would you rather I tell you exactly how they tortured me?"

"Ginny…"

"Go. Just go be the hero you are."

"I'm sorry… I just… I love you. I never loved anybody more than I love you, Gins. I just want you to open up to me. I just want you to get over this and live a normal life again."

"I love you too. I need time. That's all."

"You need time, and I need to go help my godfather."

"Are you coming back to me?" she asked in a small, childish voice.

"I pray to Merlin I will."

Harry turned completely around and opened the front door. He slipped out and softly closed it behind him. Ginny walked towards the window and watched him walk down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and head bowed. She touched the glass with tears burning her eyes. She fell to the floor weeping, her hand clenching to the necklace that hung loosely around her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to control her hysteria.

_He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine._

Several hours later, Ginny sat at the kitchen table with her mother and father, Fleur, Cho, McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Regulus. Her mother fretted over the smallest things and kept glancing over at the clock to see if any of the hands disappeared. It was then that Ginny noticed a new hand had been added to the clock and one taken off. Where Bill's picture had been was now Harry's. To the right of the Weasley Family clock was a new clock which held Fleur's, Bill's, and Charlotte's pictures.

"When did the clocks change?" Ginny asked as she stared at Harry's picture almost daring it to disappear.

"When Charlotte was born," her father replied.

"We have one at our townhouse," Fleur added proudly as she watched Bill's hand.

They fell into silence. As the first hour passed, Ginny didn't think she could take waiting any longer. She rested her head on the table and stared at Harry's hand. It remained idle, but that brought Ginny little peace. Her mother stood by the sink, and Ginny could hear her softly patting her chest. Fleur's long nails drummed on the table across from her. Every now and then Cho and Fleur would exchange a few words. Her father was with her mother just waiting. McGonagall and Pomfrey were standing a little way away from her parents. Regulus stood across the room with his arms crossed over his chest. He did not feel part of any group.

Ten more minutes passed until someone fell onto the kitchen floor. Jumping up and taking her eyes off the clock for the first time, Ginny looked at the bloody mess in front of her. It was a man with black hair. Her heart skipped a beat as Pomfrey rolled him over onto his back. A sigh of relief but also disappointment escaped her lips when she realized it wasn't Harry. Her head immediately turned back to the clock to see Harry's hand being where she left it. Within minutes, the man was transported to St. Mungos.

No one else came. Nobody moved with in the kitchen nor did anyone talk. Pomfrey never returned. It was a little over an hour when an owl appeared at the window of the kitchen. Molly, with nerves nearly broken, opened the window quickly and detached the note. She seemed to read it twice before letting out a small sigh of relief. She checked the clock once more before turning her attention to the small group.

"Thank Merlin," she whispered. "It's Remus. He says it's over. Everyone's at St. Mungos waiting for us."

"Is anyone dead?" Regulus spoke for the first time.

"Several but he doesn't list names."

Ginny stared at Harry's hand on the clock not quite believing that it was telling the truth that he was alive. She was already trying to mentally preparing herself to see Harry dead or critically injured. Her legs felt like jelly, and she wasn't even sure if she could make it to the hospital. She didn't even realize what was going on around her until Fleur touched her gently on the shoulder.

"Ginny," she asked as she flipped her long, blonde hair behind her shoulder, "are you coming?"

All she could do was nod. She walked with Fleur, who had an arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, down the walkway to the road where a Ministry issued car sat idly. Had Harry sent it? Had her father sent for it? Was it there to begin with? She crawled inside next to Charlotte. When there wasn't enough room, Ginny picked Charlotte up and placed her in her lap. She then proceeded to go as close to her mother as humanly possible. The car ride was a crammed one that seemed to take all too long.

Ginny's mind raced of a thousand possibilities on what happened. Feeling slightly guilty that she cared more about Harry than her brothers, she fiddled with Charlotte's small tuft of hair that was rapidly growing out. The small girl snuggled up against her aunt as though she were trying to give comfort.

The group marched into the hospital looking for any Order members but found it vacant of any. As though on cue, Bill appeared. He walked towards his family with a smile on his face. Fleur shouted his name as she ran towards him. Charlie was next and immediately Cho latched onto him. Next were Ron and Hermione who Molly enveloped into a warm embrace while crying. Then Fred and George made their appearance. Her father cried as he pulled them into a hug. It was the first time she ever saw her father cry.

"You're getting soft on us, Dad," George said jokingly with tears of his own sparkling in his eyes.

"You're becoming Mum," Fred added with a small laugh that was choked with a sob.

She heard Fleur and Cho crying as they fussed over their men. She vaguely noticed Bill crying as he held an oblivious Charlotte in his arms. Ginny stood idly waiting for Harry to come through the door next, but he didn't appear. The worst scenarios popped into her head. Was Harry captured or dying at that very moment alone in a hospital bed? It was then that Tonks appeared.

"Ginny, come with me," she called for her.

"Is Sirius alive?" Regulus asked as he stood as far away from the Weasley family as he could.

"Ginny…"

She moved forward as her heart broke. Was she going to have to say goodbye to the only boy she ever loved? Was he mutilated? Was he paralyzed? She realized that she would be happy if he was either as long as he was alive. She would love him no matter what.

_Please let him be alive_.

The elevator ride was pure torture. Tonks didn't say anything. Ginny couldn't ask because she was too afraid of the answer she might receive. After what seemed like hours, the lift _dinged_ and the doors opened. Remus was standing a couple meters away. It was then that she saw him. Harry. He turned and smiled when he saw her. His clothes were bloody and a gash ran down his right cheek.

Ginny broke out into a run. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her too. Within seconds, she was in Harry's arms with her feet off the ground. She buried her face into his neck and smelled his all too familiar scent that seemed to consist of blood and dirt nowadays. However, she smelled something else too, something that she hadn't smelled since she was in Azkaban herself. She pulled away almost instantly. He reeked of evil, of dark magic with a strong sense of death.

"Sirius is alive," he whispered. "So is Emmeline so stop worrying."

Joy exploded in Ginny, but her face remained distant and cold. Harry never reeked of dark magic. No, once he had. He emitted dark magic after the night in the Department of Mysteries when he came into see how everyone was doing. There was a dark energy around him, a foreboding aura that she never saw on him before since that one night and now.

"Are you okay?"

"Where you hit with an Unforgivable?" she blurted out.

Every time someone was tortured with an Unforgivable, she knew about it. There was a certain smell, a certain magic aura that radiated off the person. Her heart seemed to speed up as she watched his face change dramatically from overly joyful to apprehension.

"No, why?"

"You… you smell."

"Of what?"

"Evil and death."

He stared at her not knowing what to say. He turned to Remus and stared at him. She saw an internal battling happening before her eyes. What happened in Azkaban? What had he done? She stepped back out of arms length from him suddenly frightened of him slightly.

"I went to Azkaban, Ginny," he spoke softly.

"What happened in there?"

"Can we talk about this later?"

"When later?"

"When we're not in the hospital?"

"Sure."

"Emmeline or Sirius first?"

"I'd like to talk to Emmeline alone… and then we can go see Sirius?"

"Yeah. I'll be in his room so just walk in, okay?"

Ginny nodded and made her way down the hallway. She heard Harry enter Sirius's room. She turned around to see Remus and Tonks make their way to the elevator. She crept down the corridor until she came to the last door. The door was slightly ajar. Ginny knocked softly before pushing the door opened.

Emmeline laid there eerily still and as pale as ever. Her cheeks were shallow and dark circles danced menacingly under her eyes. When she saw Ginny, the smallest of smiles crept upon her face. Her hand reached out, shaking in the air.

"Ginny," she whispered hoarsely, "you're all right."

Ginny smiled widely as she walked towards Emmeline. She reached out a hand and grasped the older woman's trembling hand into hers. She gently laid it down on the bed as she took a seat on the edge. Emmeline, oh Emmeline was alive. Tears of joy burned Ginny's eyes as she stared at her friend through the worst of experiences.

"I got the Order out there as fast as I could," Ginny managed to say as she found it was a struggle to find her voice.

"Did they get Sirius?" she asked. "He wasn't there. He was out in interrogation when the Order arrived."

"Sirius is fine," Ginny reassured quickly. "Harry went in himself to get him… Sirius is Harry's godfather you know."

"I know."

"Harry wanted to make sure personally he was all right."

"Understandable."

"Emmeline…"

"Ginny…"

"I'm so happy you're alive."

"I'm so happy to be alive and out of that place. I owe you my life, Ginny. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be in Azkaban right now rotting away a slow and painful death."

"Any prisoner would have done what I did, so you owe me nothing."

"No, Ginny, you don't understand. I _owe_ you. I _owe_ you a Wizard's Debt."

"No, Emmeline, I don't want it."

"You can't just say you don't want it. I owe you whether you like it or not."

"It doesn't matter. I don't want it. I didn't do anything that you or Sirius or anyone there wouldn't have done," she said forcefully. "I don't want your debt. I don't want you to think you owe me anything because you don't. You being alive right now is payment enough. Consider your debt paid."

"You're an interesting girl, Miss Weasley, I must say."

"You don't owe me anything."

"I know, Ginny. We're even, I daresay."

After several minutes of small updates, Ginny left the hospital room. The door clicked softly behind her as she let out a long, relieved sigh. She turned her head down the corridor and slowly walked towards Sirius room. She opened the door slowly to see a sickly looking Sirius lying in bed. Harry sat with his back to her talking to Sirius in soft tones.

"Gins," Sirius greeted more hoarsely than Emmeline did. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm a lot harder to kill than one suspects," Ginny replied as she took a seat next to Harry, reaching out her hand to grasp Sirius's hand. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"It's good to be okay."

"Emmeline asked about you. I told her you were a stubborn, old bastard who wouldn't allow himself to die."

"Take out the old and I think you got that right on the money."

Harry looked between Sirius to Ginny. She could tell he was grateful that the two people he loved most in the world were okay and seemed to be good friends. Sirius and Ginny went through something together, something that would forever give them a special bond. Harry would never understand the bond because he never had one with anyone.

"Emmeline's fine then?"

"As well as can be expected."

"You're fine as well?"

"Very much."

Ginny glanced over at Harry as a smile played on his lips as their earlier conversation slipped away. He glanced at her and smiled as well. With her free hand, Ginny reached over and laid a hand gently on his thigh. He, in return, laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed ever so lightly. At that moment, nothing else mattered in her life. She was with Harry and everyone was free and well. Tears burned in her eyes once more as she fought to contain them. Why did she have to be so emotional?

They spent a half hour talking and catching up before Remus and Tonks made their entrance. Harry stood up, pulling Ginny with him. Remus stood by the door with tears burning his eyes as he stared at his best friend, the man who he lost twice in his lifetime. Tonks placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly. Harry pulled Ginny away.

"I'll come by sometime later," Harry told Sirius.

"Sounds great," he replied but his eyes were still on Remus.

"Bye, Sirius," Ginny whispered as she broke away from Harry to give the man a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Bye."

Harry and Ginny walked out of the hospital room with Tonks not far behind them. They all knew that Remus and Sirius needed time alone, time to reconnect. They were best friends who had let each other down so many times. They were best friends who accused each other, hated each other, loved each other, and had one the most complicated relationships that Ginny had ever seen in her life. They silently blamed each other for everything that happened but would never dare voice those thoughts. In the end, they were there for one another because they were the only true ones left of their small circle of friends that quickly fell apart through tragedy.

As the two young lovers left the hospital, Ginny couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. Something didn't seem right at all. Everything was all too easy and went too according to plan. Hadn't Voldemort expected the attack as soon as she turned up missing? Wouldn't he have put up a greater fight than he did? Granted, Ginny didn't know all of the details, she still felt something was out of place, something dreadfully wrong.

That night, when Ginny sat in Harry's nearly barren flat, she tried to push away all of the negative thoughts that penetrated her mind. She should be happy and not sulking. She didn't have to worry about those she grew close to while in captivity. Harry was the happiest he had ever been in a long time. Why couldn't the feeling of foreboding just go away?

Soon, where foreboding had been harboring came the feeling of apprehension. Ginny and Harry made an agreement. He would show her what happened in Azkaban if she told him what happened in Azkaban. At first, it felt like a fair tradeoff. However, knowing that she could barely remember Azkaban because she either simply didn't remember or refused to remember would complicate things. What if Harry thought she lied to him just to know what happened? It wasn't her intention, but with Harry he could take it with great offense. He treated people the way he did solely on trust and honestly, because trust and honestly were something he never had at the Dursleys'.

Harry brought out a small basin and sat it down onto the coffee table. Ginny looked into it to see a swirl of colors. She barely noticed Harry dragging a long silvery trail from his temple and put it into the basin. He swirled the liquid around with the tip of his wand. Harry appeared in the basin. He was running down the familiar corridors of Azkaban. Leaning forward, Ginny felt herself plunge into the depths of the Pensieve.

She immediately felt cold, a crisp cold that was tearing her insides apart. In front of her stood Harry, his face slightly pale as he fumbled with something in his ear. Remus stood behind him, glancing at the people around them. Very few of them Ginny recognized. Several were Hogwarts graduates and others she had seen in the Order headquarters summers ago. She noticed a group of people behind Harry's with brooms in their hands. She watched Charlie talking with someone. She turned around to see Hermione, Fred, and George talking as the lake slowly started to freeze up.

"We'll be marching soon," a familiar voice said to her right.

She turned around to see another Harry standing there, a grim expression on his face. He looked like he was dreading reliving the moment, but he wouldn't let her go in alone. He was afraid she wouldn't understand why he did what he did. He was so vague about it, so determined that she would hate him for something that happened in Azkaban, something she just couldn't comprehend on her own.

"Nearly ready!" Hermione shouted behind her as the lake was almost all frozen.

"We're going in," memory Harry talked into a small device attached to his shirt. "I'll lead. As soon as you see the first Dementor, fire away."

The group started to march forward. Ginny shivered as they walked through her. She shuddered as her hand shot out for Harry, her corporal Harry that would be there to explain everything. His hand grasped hers and pulled her sideways until she collided into him. They turned around to watch the Patronus group with their wands out as they crossed the frozen lake. Ginny started forward, pulling Harry behind her. She stepped through Fred who kept muttering under his breath with his wand on the ice.

"We can't lose myself," Harry commented as he started to jog forward, pulling Ginny along with him.

A rush of wind sounded above them as those on the air attack flew overhead. She looked up, squinting as she watched them speed forward. She thought she saw Charlie and Ron fly next to each other due to the swirl of red. Harry tugged her forward as she was utterly unaware that she faltered to watch the air attack fly by. They then ran through several people until they were in the front of the group, walking besides Remus and memory Harry. Her Harry watched his memory self with slight disappointment but said nothing.

It was then that Azkaban came into view. The weathered stone building stood out in the pale sky. Her heart stopped as her insides churned. She never thought she'd be back. She never thought she'd ever have to see the building ever again. Her breathing quickened as Harry let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close, kissing the side of her head.

"It can't hurt you. It's only a memory," he murmured.

Memory or no memory, the place still scared the living daylights out of her. She remembered her cell. She remembered watching Sirius shake as he relived the deaths of his best friends. She remembered watching Emmeline cry out for her family. She remembered being dragged off to the interrogation room. She shuddered as she swallowed a huge lump that formed in her throat. It was so hard to remember what happened once she was out of there, but the memories came flooding back to her.

_She was dragged from her cell down the corridor. She remembered she tried to scream, but it was useless. She was reduced to sobbing uncontrollably. After pulled down several corridors, there was a large metal door. It was pushed opened and there stood the table… the chair. She was hauled into the chair as she fought against the Death Eaters. They forced her wrists down, tying them to the cold armrests._

_She watched as one Death Eater approached her with a vial in his hand. Her head was pushed back hard against the wooden chair. She tightened her mouth, refusing to open it. A hand reached out and slapped her across the face, causing her lips to part ever so slightly. The contents of the vial were shoved down her throat at that moment, and her body shook violently._

"Fire!"

She was snapped out of her memories as she watched an array of every kind of silvery animal attack the Dementors. All of the ground was lit up with silver lights. They dove from every direction and those on the brooms shot from above. The Dementors were being driven onto the frozen lake. The rescue team took that moment to race inside the compound without looking back.

"Get ready to go inside," Harry whispered to her.

"What?"

"I'm leaving the group soon to find Sirius inside."

Soon enough, within a couple minutes, Harry's memory self started to back towards the compound. He tore the earpiece from his ear and threw it to the ground. He then detached a wire that was connected to his shirt right as Remus spun around.

"What are you doing?"

"Take over for me."

"Harry -"

"I have to do this!" he shouted as he stepped back with his wand pointed at Remus.

"Don't you dare, Harry! He wouldn't want you risking your life for his!"

"He's my godfather," he choked out. "I – I already let him go once and look what happened!"

"No," Remus said forcefully as he stepped forward, grabbing a hold of Harry's arm. "What happens if you die? Do you know how guilty he would feel? Do you have any idea that he can't get pass what happened to your parents? To have left you for revenge? He's already guilty enough."

"What if they can't help him…?"

"What about Ginny? That girl has been hanging on you since she got back. She loves you, Harry. I don't think she could make it without you."

"Don't…"

"What about me? You're the only family I have left," Remus pleaded.

"Moony…" he whispered and Remus visibly shook, "please, Moony, just let me go. Let me help Padfoot."

Ginny watched Remus change instantly. Tears burned his eyes as Harry hit the right cord. Remus's grip loosened. His hand fell helplessly to his side. He stared at Harry with pain, with sadness, with loss. Harry took his chance to step back away from the older man. Their eyes burned into one another before Harry broke the gaze as he bolted off into a run towards Azkaban, leaving Remus standing powerlessly behind.

"I feel so guilty doing that," Harry said to Ginny as they raced after his memory self. "I knew if I called him Moony he would let go."

They ran into the compound and off to the right. Ginny's body ached inside. She remembered this place. She remembered this hallway. They turned left and watched as the Harry in front of them stopped. He caught his breath as he looked around the hallway. He was deciding where to go. Ginny began to shake as the memories crashed into her.

_"How does Potter know?" a voice rang into her head._

_"I don't know…"_

_"Where is Potter?"_

_"Please…"_

_"What was he hoping to accomplish in Wales? Why was he going to Wales?"_

_"Harry… please…"_

_"Why was Potter on that train?"_

_"I don't know…"_

_"Crucio!"_

_"HARRY!"_

"Well, well, well, Baby Potter. Fancy seeing you here," a female voice taunted.

It was then that Ginny noticed she was on the floor with Harry hovering above her. She looked away and saw that Bellatrix Lestrange was in the room talking to memory Harry. Their wands were trained on each other. She felt Harry brush the hair out of her face and his eyes were burning into her with concern.

"I'm pulling us back," Harry whispered.

"No," she gasped, "I – I want to see what happens."

"This is obviously affecting you. I can't stand here and watch this happen to you."

"I'm just remembering is all," she spoke softly as she hoisted herself up as a spark of red flew over her head.

"We can come back later," he promised her, a pleading in his voice.

"You – you promised," Ginny interjected. "You promised I could see what happened as long as I showed you some of my memories. I – I'm remembering them, Harry, they're all coming back to me by being here."

"This is just a memory, Gins, we can come back at any time."

"Baby Potty wants to save his godfather, does he?" Bellatrix teased. "Didn't work last time though."

"Harry…" Ginny pleaded one last time before Harry reached out and pulled her out of the memory.

They were on the floor of his flat. She was panting hard next to Harry on the wood floor. He stood up, gently hauling her up with him. She stood unsteadily on her legs and allowed him to walk her to the couch. Sinking down into the cushion, she let out a shaky sigh. He kissed her on the top of the head before rushing out of the living room and through another door.

Looking around the room, Ginny noticed how sparse it looked. There was the traditional living room furniture with the absence of any personal flair. The couch and chairs were situated around a coffee table. She turned around to see a fireplace in the corner. On top of the fireplace were pictures. Ginny stood up and walked slowly towards the mantle. In the center was a picture of his parents and him as a baby. To the right was a picture of him, Ron, and Hermione. Next to that was a picture of Harry, Remus, and Sirius which was taken sometime during the summer after the Triwizard Tournament. On the other side of the picture of his parents was a picture of the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione that was taken before the Quidditch World Cup. Next to that was a picture of her and Harry dancing at Bill's wedding.

"Like the arrangement?" Harry asked as he walked back in with a cup of tea. "Tonks says it's a mess, and I really should arrange them better. Remus thinks there should be more personal effects in general."

"I agree with Remus," she replied with a small smile as she took the cup from him. "I can help you if you like?"

"Maybe when things calm down a bit," he suggested. "I'm barely going to be here the next few weeks. I'm probably going to be going back and forth between work and the hospital, and I know for a fact that your mother will force me to come to dinner at least for half the days if not more."

"I'd really like to come to the hospital with you… to see Sirius and Emmeline."

"Yeah, sure, we can work that out."

Ginny's grip tightened around the cup as she battled with her thoughts. She bit her bottom lip as she stared into the brown of her tea. Looking up, she noticed he was staring at her with concern. He smiled softly as he stepped forward and led her back to the couch.

"I've been thinking," she blurted out.

"About what?"

"Well, you said that you were going back and forth between work and the hospital… and I would feel selfish if I made you come over to the Burrow every night because I can't stop screaming…" She shuddered slightly. "So, I – I was thinking maybe I could move in here with you? I mean, that way if I happen to wake up screaming for you, then Ron wouldn't have to come over here like he has for the past few nights and… well, I'd really like living with you."

"That's a huge step," he said softly as he stared at her.

"I know but we – we love each other, right?"

"Ginny, I love you more than I ever loved anyone else."

"Then, it would be all right then? I mean, if I lived with you?"

"Gins… I would love you to live with me, but I don't think your parents would like that idea very much. You're still a minor."

"I won't be in a month or so." Ginny sighed heavily. "They can't stop me, Harry. I'm more of an adult than they give me credit for. They can't protect me, and they know that. They love you as their own, Harry, and I think that you're the only boy they'd approve of me with."

"Do they know we're a… uh… a couple?" He rubbed his neck absentmindedly.

"Ron knows?" she suggested.

"Yeah, he knows but your parents don't so what if they don't like me anymore after they find out that I … that I'm with you?"

"Harry, I think that they already know on some level. Plus, my mum would most likely pressure you to ask me to marry you so you can officially become part of the family."

"What about your dad and the rest of your brothers?"

"My dad adores you, Harry. Fred and George would be thrilled since they already see you as a brother. Bill admires you. Charlie likes you so far. As for Percy, well, he hates you but who cares what he thinks?"

Harry leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. His hand ran over his tired face. Ginny looked away and stared at the basin sitting idly on the coffee table. The contents swirled, and she could barely make out Harry's form pointing his wand at a twitching figure on the ground. Her gaze fell back on Harry who was staring at her again.

"We tell your parents we're dating," Harry spoke softly. "Then we express the concern of my lack of sleep and being able to function during the day. We can casually bring up that we thought you could live with me on a trial basis to see if it helps you. If they don't agree, I want to drop it. They're like a family to me, Ginny, and I don't want to lose them."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'm for it. We can go to dinner over there tonight and tell them. We can have Ron and Hermione back us up."

"That sounds good." Harry stood up and stretched. "I need to get back to the hospital. I'll drop you off at home, okay?"

"I'd like to go see Sirius again."

"Yeah, right, sure. We'll go see Sirius, and then I'll drop you off at home."

"I thought you were coming to dinner."

"I need to run into the Ministry and work on the Azkaban report. It's due tomorrow morning."

"I'll come with you."

"It'll be awfully boring, Ginny."

"I can make things interesting."

Ginny stood up and slipped her arms around Harry's neck. She rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. He leaned forward into the kiss, parting his lips to deepen it. She pressed her body against his and ran her nails down his back in pleasure. He groaned slightly as he stumbled forward, knocking her down onto the couch. He was on top of her in a second, his lips pushing forcefully onto hers. She arched her back as her body ached for him. However, right when it was getting good, Harry pulled back sheepishly with small tints of red rising on his cheeks.

"We are a couple, Harry. Couples tend to snog."

"I know that," he whispered as he leaned forward to chastely kiss her on the lips. "We just need to get going is all."

"Right." Ginny smirked. "Harry Potter is the big, workaholic Auror who simply has no time to snog."

"Ginny," he started with a sigh, "there's a lot going on right now."

"You think I don't know that? Just relax a little bit."

"I just… no one understands. Someone is always telling me to relax and not work so hard, but there's a war happening, and I have things I need to do."

"No one doubts that you have things to do, Harry, but if you keep up with all work and no play, you're not going to enjoy your life."

"All I've known is work," he shot back bitterly as he got off the couch. "All I've known is to be a hero. It's what Dumbledore practically trained me to be - the leading hero in this huge chess game of war."

"Let me be your heroine," Ginny whispered softly.

"No."

"Harry!"

"I can't lose you! What part of that don't you understand?" He was getting mad at this point… or perhaps just frustrated but Ginny couldn't really tell which as her own emotions were rising up. "We should have stayed broken up like I wanted to!"

His words stung, and they stung hard. He couldn't have meant that. He couldn't have said that. He loved her, and she loved him. Why did he always have to go and make things more complicated than they need be? Tears burned her eyes as she struggled to find words.

"Is that what you want? You don't want me in your life?"

"Yes! No! Ginny, you know what I mean," his voice began to grow softer. "I already feel responsible for what happened to you -"

"What happened to me? How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't my connection to you that made Voldemort want me!"

"You would tell me that even if it was the reason!" he shot back. "Being with me is dangerous!"

"Being without you is dangerous as well so why be apart if we both love each other?"

"I can't stand back and let you get hurt or worse."

"Maybe I'm a big girl, Harry," she seethed as she jumped off the couch. "Maybe I can take care of myself, did you ever think of that?"

"Ginny…"

"No! You listen to me! I'm sick and tired of everyone treating me like a child! I'm sick of being little vulnerable Ginny who has to have Harry Bloody Potter protect her! I took care of myself fine without you. I took care of myself fine in Azkaban. I can protect myself. I can defend myself against Death Eaters and Voldemort. I know what it's like, Harry. I know what it's like when they try to rip your mind apart bit by bit. I know what it's like to be nearly broken apart - to nearly spill out all of the secrets I have and nearly sell out the people I love most. I don't need you to be my protector, my savior. I need you to be my boyfriend. I need you to be there for me. I need to be cared for. I need to be loved."

"Gins, I do love and care for you, and I'm trying to be there for you, but I have other obligations as well."

"That are more important than me."

"Nothing is more important to me than you."

"Could have fooled me."

"Merlin, Ginny, why are we fighting about this?"

"Because I need to be treated like a woman… like an Order member and not as a juvenile."

She stood there panting. Anger and frustration boiled inside of her as she watched Harry standing in front of her looking the same as she felt. Finally, he broke the gaze to run a tired hand down his face. He mumbled something under his breath that Ginny couldn't hear. She sighed and turned away to look at anything but him.

"It seems like everyone that I care about is dying off one by one," Harry spoke softly. "First, my mum and dad die. Then Sirius disappears to be tortured for nearly two years. Then Dumbledore dies. Then you disappear to be tortured. I just… I can't take watching everyone I care about get hurt or die. I can't go through it again."

"I love you," Ginny gasped out.

She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his chest. Burying her face into his chest, she felt it shake beneath her. She hugged his tighter as he wept. His arms shakily found themselves around her petite frame. Before long, Ginny felt her own tears streaming down her face. They were in the war together and both knew that. They were numbers one and two on Voldemort's hit list. If one went down, the other would go down as well. There was no denying that. There was no stopping it. They were intertwined with one another. Their bodies, souls, lives were predestined to be as one.

Author's Notes - Happy Christmas to all of you, though I'm a day late. Oh well, I hope that you enjoyed the extra long chapter. I was originally going to make it two chapters, but I had the Pensieve scene written for several months, so I just did some quick revising on it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and please do leave a review. There are only several chapters left.


	17. The Virus

Chapter Title - The Virus

At first, Molly Weasley adamantly said that there was no way that Ginny could move in her boyfriend's flat at such a young age. It didn't matter that Harry said that she would sleep in another room, and he wouldn't think of doing anything inappropriate. However, that night, Ginny woke up screaming for Harry. The next night, she woke up screaming for him once again. Arthur, seeing the distress both his only daughter and Harry were in, somehow convinced his wife that the two were mature for their age and would not betray the trust that would be bestowed upon them.

Therefore, the next morning, Ginny packed up her few belongings and moved into Harry's flat. Harry already left for work when Ginny and Molly got there. Molly looked around the sparse rooms in disappointment. Ginny ignored her mother as she unpacked her things.

"It's so sad that he doesn't have anything personal," Molly commented as she ran a finger along the mantel. "It's so dusty too."

"I'd be surprised if Harry actually cleaned," she replied. "He's awfully busy with work, Sirius, and the Order."

"How is Sirius doing? I haven't been able to see him, but I did send some treats with Harry yesterday."

"He's doing as well as can be expected," Ginny replied knowing full well what she was attempting to do.

"How well is expected?"

"Mum, Sirius and I were held captive, tortured for information. It's taking awhile to get back into… I'm just happy to be out of there."

"Ginny, you're my baby," Molly said as tears burned her eyes, "I would gladly take all your pain if I could. I just hate seeing my baby girl… my strong boys get hurt. I don't know what I would do if any of you died. It's the worst thing that could happen to a mother… to bury one of her own children. It's enough to break a person beyond repair."

"I'm not going to die, Mum. Come on, I'm with Harry Potter. He's the only one Voldemort is afraid of. He's defied in more times than anyone else. I'm safe with him."

"One time Harry isn't going to win," Molly whispered as she sat down in the nearest chair. "I fear more for his life than anyone else's. He's been a target from the day he was born, and I know You-Know-You isn't going to stop until he gets Harry."

"Harry'll get him first."

Ginny sat down next to her mother, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She tilted her head and rested it on her mother's shoulder. Molly kissed her daughter's hair and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. Ginny closed her eyes. Everything would be all right… it had to be.

"I hope so."

"Harry knows exactly what to do. He's been trained for it."

"I can't stop worrying about him. Now, You-Know-You has taken an interest in you. I fear for you and Harry so much. I hear these stories about James and Lily Potter and how much you two are like them. Sometimes, I can't help but think that maybe the same thing will happen to the two of you that happened to them. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I can't help it."

The two weren't concerned with unpacking anymore. They weren't concerned with anything happening around them. They just sat there together, quietly, giving each other the comfort they craved.

Nearly two hours later, Molly dropped Ginny off at the hospital where she was to meet Harry during his lunch break. She sat in the waiting room by herself, staring at the clock. Harry was already fifteen minutes late. A man joined the waiting room, sitting across from Ginny. He looked at her oddly.

"Do I know you?"

He was a tall, angular man. He was in Ministry work robes, most likely a lower end job. He had brown hair that was messy and hung in his eyes. He looked tired with dark circles residing under his eyes. A beard graced his jaw and chin. He looked so worn out, so tired, so sick. Ginny's heart went out to him.

"I don't think so," she replied politely.

"Family down there?" He gestured towards the hallway where Sirius and the rest of the prisoners resided.

"Friends more like it."

"My wife is down there. Our little boy… Merlin, he was so happy to see his mum again."

"Your wife?" Ginny inquired.

"Emmeline Vance. I'm Dominic, her husband."

Ginny let out a small laugh of disbelief. Her heart swelled with happiness. Emmeline deserved to be with her family. The woman fought the good fight and to see her family again was a blessing in itself. She got up, walked towards Dominic, and sat in the seat next to him.

"I'm Ginny Weasley. I was cellmates with Emmeline."

"Oh, that's why you're so familiar." He laughed. "I read your story in the Daily Prophet. You look nothing like your picture."

"I was in the Daily Prophet?"

"Yeah, there was this huge front page picture of you and Harry Potter with an article about the attack on Azkaban. It said you were a prisoner who somehow got out, and it went on to talk about how Harry Potter led a team in there to get the prisoners out." He paused and glanced towards the hallway. "Emmeline talks about you a lot too. Says she never met a girl as brave and compassionate as you, a girl so well connected. She, uh, said Potter and you are dating and that you really seem love him."

"We're very happy together. But anyways, um, Emmeline really missed her family in there. She… she used to call out to you when things got too rough."

"Thank-you. She won't talk about it, you know. It's good to hear that see still thought of Ben and me."

"I think loved ones were the only thing that kept us hanging on." Ginny reached out and took the man's hand in hers, giving a small smile.

Two healers ran pass the small waiting room, causing Ginny's head to turn. Three more followed. Ginny got up and walked to look down the hall, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Dominic was at her side at once, trying to figure out which room everyone was going to.

"Emmeline," he whispered before running down the hallway towards her room.

The healers passed Sirius's room and then proceeded to pass Emmeline's. She breathed in relief. She walked forward to figure out what was going on when Hermione came running around the corner.

"Hermione? What's going on?"

"Amos Diggory is crashing," she yelled, not even stopping as she ran as fast as she could towards the room.

Ginny wrapped her arms around her stomach, feeling slightly sick. Why was Amos crashing? What was crashing exactly? Fear washed over her. It was then that a hand gently touched her shoulder, causing her to jump back. Harry was standing there with concern in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny clamped her arms around his chest and buried her head in his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Mister Diggory… something's going on," she whispered as a sob formed in her throat.

"What?"

"I don't know. Hermione's here, down there. Why is she here?"

"Ginny, she's an intern," Harry said softly. "Didn't you know that?"

She shook her head and picked up her head to stare down the hallway. Fear inched in every crevice of her body. She literally felt sick to her stomach. Her stomach tightened and his throat seemed to close up. She was shaking violently with choking her. Harry wrapped his arms around her tightly to try to comfort her, but it was no use. Ginny was positive she was officially having her first nervous breakdown.

"Ginny?" Harry asked frantically.

"Ma-make," she sobbed, "st-st-stop."

That was about the time she felt her body become totally loose, just like jell-o. She couldn't keep herself upright any longer and fell into Harry's strong embrace like a rag doll. Her eyes grew heavy. She closed them and saw a flash of yellow light. She opened them again to see another healer running down the hallway. They started to close again, and she saw Voldemort's face. Forcing them open, she caught a glimpse of a hospital bed being rolled out of the room with a body covered in a white sheet. Her eyes closed again, and she saw Snape's face lingering. Finally, she passed out.

_"You say she is powerful? How powerful is powerful exactly?" a female voice asked._

_"Harry _Potter_ powerful," a familiar male said in a sarcastic tone._

_"Do you have any idea what the Dark Lord is planning on doing to her? The little mission he has planned for her?"_

_"No."_

_"We need to get her out of here. He is close to breaking her. Once he has done that… she is his. There will be no way to save her then."_

_"How are we supposed to get her out of here without anyone noticing? Without compromising us?"_

_"Draco." The male laughed in disbelief._

_"Yes, because I guess his life doesn't matter in all of this."_

_"I know you are fond of the boy, Severus, but there is simply no other way."_

_Ginny moaned and tried to move. Her hands were tied down to something hard and cold. She tried to focus on the voices she heard, but her head ached too much to pretend that she was still out cold. Her throat burned and her whole body felt beaten. She forced her eyes opened and saw a blurry version of her old Potion's master - greasy hair and all._

_"She is awake," the female said somewhere from behind her, "am I right?"_

_"We need to get her back to her cell," Snape said as he walked closer to her._

_"You do that. I will go find Draco."_

_"You really think it wise to trust him?"_

_Snape started to untie her bond wrists. He was gentle which made the whole situation all the more weird. He untied the other wrist as tenderly as the last. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her and supported her as he helped her up out of the chair. He placed his arm around her waist, holding her close to his body._

_"We really do not have any other choice, now do we, Severus? If we do, please, let me on it." She paused as she waited for his answer. "Thought not."_

Ginny flinched. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked around the room cautiously for Snape or the woman. Realizing it was just a dream, she relaxed a little. Her vision was blurry and distorted. She squinted her eyes and looked around the room. Sitting in a chair by her bedside with his mouth open slightly and eyes closed was Harry Potter. She reached out to him, feeling something tugging on her hand. She looked down and saw something in her hand. What was that?

"Harry?" she whispered. "Harry?"

His hazy body stirred, a hand reaching up to rub his face. As soon as he realized that Ginny was awake, his body became erect as a hand flung out and grasped hers. He got up and walked closer, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Being closer, he became clearer to Ginny. He looked like hell washed over.

"Are you okay? The healers said you had an anxiety attack. They have you on a potion to keep your body calm."

"What happened?"

"We were at the hospital and you… I don't know, Ginny. I've never seen someone act that way before. You became all weak and collapsed against me. I looked down at your face and it… the healers said you passed out from stress or something. I was so scared."

The hospital scene crashed into her mind. She went there to see Sirius and Emmeline with Harry. He was late. She met Emmeline's husband. Something happened to Mister Diggory. Harry came. Oh gosh… Mister Diggory. What happened to him? Was he all right? Was he dead?

"Mister Diggory, what happened to him?" Ginny demanded, suddenly everything became clear and the fog was lifted from her mind.

"Gins," Harry hesitated, "he… I'm so sorry. He died."

"How? Why?"

Sobs formed in her throat and tears burned her eyes. Her heart started to pound heavily against her chest. Lifting the hand that wasn't being held by Harry, she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. It wasn't right. He was saved. He was supposed to be all right. He wasn't supposed to die after being rescued. What sort of cruel world did they live in?

"Ginny, you need to calm down."

"What happened, Harry?"

"Please, calm down first," he pleaded to her. "The healers said you couldn't be upset."

"What happened, Harry? Please, just tell me. I deserve to know." He sighed.

"The healers found um… some sort of virus in his system. It uh… it killed him. So the healers, started thinking. They tested the- the prisoners… including you for this virus. You were clean. There was no trace of it in your system."

_Oh, Merlin. Oh, Merlin,_ Ginny's mind raced. She could already hear the big but coming.

"But… they found it in all the other prisoners. Sirius and Emmeline included." Tears were running silently down Harry's face. "The healers have never seen anything like this before. They don't know what this virus is. They um… they know it's attacking the body from the inside out. It's killing them, Ginny. It's going to kill them all unless we get a cure."

"How long?"

"They have no idea, but they called all the families together about two hours ago. They uh… told us we better start preparing for the worst… and to um… to start saying our goodbyes because they didn't think they could get a cure fast enough. They said they were trying to get all the top healers and potion masters around the world to London within the next couple of days and form a team to stop this. However, they suspect by that the time they even arrive, one more will most likely be dead. They have the best healers and potion masters in England working right now on it."

Ginny felt like she had died and went to hell. Voldemort, the bastard, must have known that Harry and the Order would arrive in a matter of days so he devised a plan to make sure that all the prisoners died and the efforts of rescuing them were a waste of time, energy, and manpower. How could someone be that cruel? That evil? Ginny never before felt so much hate build up inside of her, so much sorrow. She felt as though someone was trying to rip her heart out.

"I just got him back, and I'm going to lose him again," Harry whispered as though to himself.

"No, there has to be a way to save them." Harry let out a long, shaky breath of air. "Harry…"

"Maybe."

"No, yes. They'll find a cure."

"No, Ginny, we know who did this. We know what kind of monster he is… how skilled he is. He's powerful, Ginny. Snape's powerful."

"Snape's on our side," she uttered to convince herself more so than Harry. "He's on our side."

"I know you want to believe that. I've tried so hard to be open about that because you seemed so adamant that he was good." His jaw clenched as he tried to fight back the tears. "He's the most skilled potions master Voldemort has. He created this. Someone who does that is plain evil. When I get my hands on him… Snape's going to wish he would just die. I'm going to make sure he pays for this nice and slow."

Ginny faltered as she stared at him. Never had she seen him so angry, so sincere about anything. She feared he would pull out all stops to hurt Snape. She feared he would stoop to the level of a Death Eater, that he would become the very thing that he detested. Ginny knew Harry was grown up, mature… but the boy had a temper. He had a nasty temper and a strong craving for revenge. He would not sit on this lightly. He would not let Snape get due process of the law. She knew that if Harry ever saw Snape there would only be one fierce, vicious fight that would ensue. Moreover, she knew that one day, he would regret it.

"Harry… he's the only one who can help them," she tried to reason as terror welled up inside of her. "You need to find him."

"If I find him, he's dead."

"Harry-"

"Don't _Harry_ me," he spoke in a low, menacing tone. "Do you have any idea what he has done? Every single person we saved is as good as dead! Don't even give me that shit that he's a good guy on our side. So help me God, Ginny, if I hear you say that now I might just lose it!"

"Do they know what's wrong with them?" She was breathing hard as her heart ached

"Yeah, they know."

"How's Sirius?"

Just at the mention of his name, Harry closed his eyes in anguish. His back slouched over and he let go of Ginny's hand. He buried his face into his hands and his body shook. She reached out and gently touched his leg, rubbing it. She wanted nothing more than to go see Emmeline and Sirius. She just wanted them to be okay. She wanted them all to be okay. It wasn't right. They just got out, and now they were condemned for death.

Forcing herself up into a sitting position, she scooted as close to Harry as humanly possible. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her cheek on his bony shoulder. She felt him shake beneath her and soon she was shaking as well. Tears poured down her face. She felt Harry's arm sneak around her waist. He pulled her into his lap. The two sat there in each other's arms for what seemed like forever crying their hearts out to one another.

The next day, Ginny was released from the hospital. Harry asked if she wanted to see Emmeline or Sirius, but she just didn't have the will to do so. She didn't think she could walk in there without breaking down. She didn't think she could face them and pretend that everything was going to be all right. In the pit of her stomach, doubts plagued her. Perhaps, Snape really was evil. Perhaps, all the conversations she overheard, the times he saved her were all to gain her trust and blindly lead the Order into destruction. However, a small piece of her still believed that Snape was good and that he would come and cure the virus.

She gripped the sides of the sink in the bathroom of the flat staring at her reflection. She looked as bad as she felt. Pale with dark bruises under her eyes, matted faded hair, empty eyes, and her shallow cheeks made her feel completely like shit. How could Harry even stand looking at her?

Harry left nearly three hours before for work. He asked her to join him at the hospital, but she still couldn't go. It had been three days since Mister Diggory died. Healers from China, India, Australia, America, and Russian flew in. Several more from Spain, France, Germany, and Italy were due the next day. Luckily, no one had died, but Ginny feared someone was going to soon. The prisoners were all living on borrowed time and were all fighting for their lives, but it all seemed so fruitless. The odds of finding a miracle cure in time were against them.

After splashing some water onto her face, Ginny made her way into the living room. She was dressed in only her underwear and one of Harry's shirts. She sprawled out on the couch and sniffed Harry's shirt. She longed for him to be there but knew he had a job to do. The boy was completely out of it, worried out of his mind about Sirius. She knew if he had to fight with all that was going on, he just might lose for once.

Closing her eyes, Ginny easily slipped into dreamland. She had been put on anxiety potions that made her tired as hell. She was thankful for that, because it was less time that she had to be thinking about everything that was going on. Plus, with the small sleeping potion mixed in it, she didn't have any terrifying dreams.

_Bang!_

"Get the hell off me!"

Ginny woke up with a stir as her eyes snapped towards the door. It was kicked opened which caused her to jump up. She tensed when she realized she didn't know where her wand was. Instantly she relaxed when she noticed Kingsley and another Auror dragging Harry into the flat. He was struggling against their hold.

"I said, _'Get the fuck off'_." Harry wrenched his arms away from the two, stumbling into the flat.

"You need to cool off," Kingsley told him.

"_Cool off_?" Harry asked in a mocking tone. "You want _me_ to _cool off_? That's rich."

"What's going on?" questioned Ginny as she pushed herself off the couch and made her way over towards Harry. "What happened?"

"Amelia Bones died today from the virus," Harry told her not taking his eyes off his fellow Aurors, "and Severus Snape was caught."

"Snape was caught?"

"Yeah, Kingsley got the order to raid his house - a raid that I suggested but wasn't told was going down. They find him there and took him into Ministry custody. They won't let me talk to him."

"Good," Ginny said.

"Excuse me?" For the first time, Harry looked at Ginny with anger shining in his eyes.

"You'll end up doing something stupid and getting yourself arrested!"

"I told you, Harry, I have this under control," Kingsley said calmly. "I'm going to question him tonight about the virus."

"Yeah, good luck with that. Hope he falls for your good cop act and spills everything to you," Harry replied bitterly.

"Ginny, do me a favor and make sure he doesn't go into work. He has a week suspension."

With that, Kingsley and the other Auror left the flat. As soon as the door closed, Harry kicked over the coffee table before proceeding to push over the nearest chair. A vase of flowers that was on a nearby table shattered, and the pictures on the mantle fell to the ground magically.

"Harry, please, you're scaring me."

"I should be there!" he shouted.

"You're too emotionally involve-"

"Don't give me that crap! Not you! Not now!" He ran a hand over his ragged face.

"Why were you suspended?" she asked cautiously. "What'd you do?"

"The Head Auror wouldn't let me in on the interrogation for Snape, so I… I punched him in the jaw."

"Harry!"

"Don't, okay? I don't need _you_, of all people, patronizing me right now."

"I know you're upset about Sirius-"

"Just, stop. Okay? Leave me alone."

"If you promise me you won't go back to work until your suspension is over, I'll leave you alone."

Harry looked at her. She watched his jaw clench and Adam's apple bobble. His face was red with anger. Slowly, he nodded before turning to head to his room. The door slammed shut, and she heard the lock click. She heard a couple crashes one after another. She heard a _thump_ and a _bang_. Then, there was nothing but sobs. Ginny walked over towards the door and rested her palm against the wood. She slid down to the ground and sat with her side and temple on it. Her ear was placed securely on the wood as she listened to her love's cries. In the past couple days, she heard him cry more than she did in her whole life and it simply killed her inside. She would give anything to help him, but he was too stubborn to accept her help. That made it hurt all the more.

Author's Notes - Sorry for such the long delay, but I'm terribly busy with school. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was horrible to write. I have about three different drafts of it also because I didn't exactly know how to go about the virus. Anyways, a lot of people have been saying that Ginny's been out of character, but you must understand that she was kidnapped and tortured for a month. I think that would cause a person to latch onto someone. So, please review and tell me what you think about this new twist. I've had this planned since day one of this story. It was the first thing that popped into my mind actually, and I molded it into this story. It only takes a minute to review, so please do so.


	18. The Goodbye

Chapter Title - The Goodbye

All it took was two days before Harry got out of his tirade of being suspended. He had been in his room at the time that Ginny broke down crying in the living room, her sobs unable to stop. She didn't even know that Harry was there, didn't register that his arms were around her. The dreaded words rang in her head over and over again, making her want to die of anguish. _Emmeline passed away this morning. I'm so sorry, Ginny._

Remus came with Tonks in tow, their faces so grave that Ginny could have sworn her heart stopped as soon as their eyes met. _Emmeline passed away this morning._ She was choking on her tears, her whole body felt weak. Emmeline had a husband, a son, how could she be dead? The woman helped her through her imprisonment, made her believe that everything was going to be okay. She was just saved and now she was dead because people were just cruel and spiteful. _Emmeline passed away this morning._

The next day was a blur. Ginny couldn't remember it to save her life, and she was glad that she couldn't recall anything. Her tears subsided as a dull ache filled her heart. Her head pounded, her chest burning, her stomach churning. All she knew that she was in pain and Harry had been there. He laid with her in bed, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Every now and then, he'd plant a kiss on her head and mutter comforting words. Whatever he said, Ginny would never know because all the sounds were just humming to her. She couldn't comprehend a lot of what was going on around her.

The next day, Ginny woke up with her face buried in the folds of Harry's shirt. She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. Adjusting her head so that it was laying on top of his chest, she willed herself to believe that yesterday had been nothing but a dream. Surely, Emmeline didn't die. She was too strong, too brave. The day felt like a dream. Half the time she couldn't tell if she was sleeping or awake. She merely went through the motions and refused to speak.

She remembered Remus and Tonks were there, said they never left. Her mother showed up later as well, pulling her daughter close to her chest. She ate merely to please those around her before treading off to bed to _get some rest_ as she liked to call it. Harry was in the room not ten minutes after she left the kitchen. He said everyone had gone. Then he proceeded to lay with her, not saying a word for which Ginny was grateful.

The day of the funeral, Ginny got ready quickly. Part of her wanted to say her goodbyes but another part of her was dreading the entire situation. She sat cross-legged on the bed that Harry and her shared, watching Harry get ready. He fumbled with the tie slightly, his hands shaking from anxiety and rage. That morning, Theodore McLaggen was the latest one to die from the virus. Snape apparently wasn't talking and all the prisoners were dropping one by one. Harry feared for Sirius's life, as did Ginny. They were both worried sick, stricken with grief, and too tired to go on like this any longer.

Harry held out shades to Ginny. She took them and placed them on her face. Harry did the same with the shades in his hands. Together, hand and hand, they walked out of the apartment to the Ministry issued car outside of their building. The ride to the cemetery was a short one, and Ginny only wished for it to be longer as soon as the car parked itself.

The whole graveyard was filled with reporters snapping pictures of Emmeline's headstone and the grieving people huddled together. Harry opened the car door, his head down. He reached back for Ginny's hand, who gripped it tightly as the reporters turned to snap their cameras away at the newcomers. The reporters started shouting at them, asking questions, surrounding them and not allowing them to attend the ceremony taking place as soon as they saw the Boy-Who-Lived and the only prisoner of Azkaban to get out without the virus in her system.

"Step aside," Harry growled.

"How well did you know Emmeline Vance?"

"You were cellmates with Vance weren't you?"

"Do you feel guilty that you got out and the others didn't?"

"Is it true that you work in a secret society to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Why were you suspended from the Ministry?"

Ginny's grip on Harry's hand tightened, tears burning her eyes. She stepped close to him, her body pressing up tightly against his back. Burying her face in his shoulder, she tried to block out the flashes of light and the questions. She felt Harry tighten with rage.

"Back up!" a new voice boomed.

Ginny looked up to see Kingsley coming towards the crowd with several Aurors following them. The reporters reluctantly stepped aside as Kingsley motioned for Harry and Ginny to step out of the swarm. Gripping her hand tightly, Harry pulled Ginny along with him towards the grave and a small mass of people mourning. Her gaze fell on Emmeline's grief-stricken husband and a child only several years younger than herself next to him. To lose a love one was unbearable, but to lose that loved one twice was just unthinkable.

The ceremony was short and filled with tears. Ginny felt the need to say something to Emmeline's family but couldn't bring herself to do so - there was nothing she could say. As soon the casket started to lower itself into the ground, Harry pulled Ginny away. Several Aurors left at that point as well, guiding the couple to their car to shield them from the swarm of reporters.

Ginny found herself in a daze as she walked through the familiar corridors of the hospital. Harry wasn't one who could take death very well, his own fears of losing his godfather again shone clearly on his haggard face. The two walked hand-in-hand into Sirius's room. The man looked small in the bed, his white face blurring into the sterile sheets beneath him. He looked sickly, but the man forced a smile on his face when he noticed the two teenagers.

"Not dead yet," he whispered jokingly with a nervous chuckle.

"That's not funny," Harry replied as he took a seat next to the bed. "This is serious."

"You don't think I know that? Believe me, Harry, I understand." He turned his attention to Ginny who was standing idly behind her boyfriend. "You doing okay?"

"Me? Sirius, come on. I should be the one asking you that."

"Are you okay, Gins?" he pressed.

"Fine. I'm fine."

"How was Emmeline's funeral?" Sirius turned his attention back to his godson.

"A complete and utter media circus," he muttered bitterly. "Ginny and I were mobbed as soon as he stepped out of the car."

"Well, not surprising, is it? Voldemort's back and kicking worse than ever. He crafted this whole plan, Harry, and everyone is marveling over it."

"It's sick."

"I'm not denying that."

"How are you feeling, Sirius?" Ginny interrupted.

"Truthfully, not so good. Look, I want to talk to you two about this."

"Sirius…" Harry warned.

"No, this needs to be said so just shut up. I know you have this guilt complex, Harry, and I know that right now you think this is all your fault, Ginny, but you two need to stop wallowing. It's neither of your faults, and you need to focus all this attention you're giving to guilt into something productive. I'm going to die, and I've accepted that."

"Sirius, we're going to fix this."

"Let me finish. It's more likely I'm going to die than live, and I'm trying to tell you two something. Remus tells me you were suspended from work. Don't let your frustration get the best of you. The Ministry needs you, Harry. You're the only one who understands the magnitude of what's happening. You can't go punching superiors in the face no matter how much they deserve it. You're doing things that I would do. Focus everything you're feeling into this war, fight." Sirius turned towards Ginny. "This isn't your fault. Just because you escaped doesn't mean you condemned us to die. You had no idea this would happen, and I doubt that Malfoy gave you much choice when he dragged you out. We're old, Ginny, and we're all tired, but you… you're young and powerful. You can help defeat Voldemort and his cronies in ways that I never could."

"I'm so sorry," Ginny sobbed.

"Don't be. Look, I'm not going to be around much longer to look out for you guys, so I want you to look out for one another. I know you love each other. You give each other looks that I've only seen Lily and James give, that ogling lovey-dovey stare. Don't push each other away but come closer and trust each other through this. Listen to one another. If you can't do it by yourselves, then you should know that Remus is always there for you two. He loves you just as much as I do. He's not me, but he's certainly wiser and more levelheaded than I've ever been. Just, be careful whom you trust. Even if you've known someone forever, don't immediately place your trust in them. James and I made that mistake long ago, and I don't want to see you two following in our footsteps. Trust Remus, Tonks, Molly, Arthur, Ron, and Hermione. Don't trust anyone else until this blows over, okay?"

Ginny took the words to heart as she watched Harry struggle within himself. She excused herself, saying that she just wanted to go home and rest. Harry kissed her and said he'd be back in several hours. Before leaving, she kissed Sirius's forehead. She walked down the hallways of the hospital, her stomach churning and her heart clenched. Her mind was made up. She knew what she had to do, and she had to act fast before it was too late.

_It's neither of your faults, and you need to focus all this attention you're giving to guilt into something productive._

The words rang in her head, playing over and over again like a broken record. She knew what she had to do but going about it was the hard part. She took Harry's registered car outside the hospital and made her way to the Ministry of Magic. With her head down, she quickly made her way through the Ministry until she arrived in the Auror department where she sought out Kingsley. He was at his desk shifting through a file when he looked up and saw her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he grabbed her arm and dragged her into his small cubicle.

"Let me talk to him."

"Who?"

"Don't give me that crap. Let me talk to Snape."

"No way, Ginny, you can't. You're not an Auror. You have no authorization. Harry wasn't allowed because he was too emotionally involved. You honestly think I'm going to let a seventeen-year-old who is also too emotionally involved in all of this question him? You've got to be out of your mind."

"Kingsley, please. You know I'm not going to throw punches like Harry would. I need answers."

"I could lose my job."

"Well, then we'll need a lookout."

"No."

"I can convince him to make a cure. Just give me five minutes with him."

"I like you a lot, Ginny, and I don't doubt you, but my hands are tied."

"So untie them. People are dying, and sometimes you gotta break the rules to save lives."

With the help of Tonks, and a lot of reluctance on Kingsley part, the two successfully took Ginny down to the Ministry holding cells where Snape was being held. Kinsley told her to have her back against the door at all times and pound immediately if she needed help. He assured her that they would not leave the door and would not let anyone bother her. She had ten minutes tops, so she had to make it quick. Tonks told her it was pretty much useless to talk to him stating that the big shots couldn't get any information out of him.

Determined, Ginny walked into the holding cell. Snape sat in the far corner of the room on a dingy-looking cot. He looked ill as his bones protruded from underneath his skin. A nice shiner was cased around his left eye, his lip split. His dark hair was more matted and greasy than she'd ever seen it. The door closed behind her as she noted his hands were linked together with chains, his right foot chained to the cot. He looked genuinely surprised to see her.

"Why?" she asked as she plastered her back against the door like she was told.

"It wasn't supposed to go this far," he replied in a hoarse voice. "It was supposed to be resolved by now."

"What are you talking about?"

"I orchestrated this whole thing from the moment the Dark Lord told me to make the concoction. It's easily cured, but the Ministry idiots won't listen to me."

"What?"

"I knew one or two would have to die, but it made it all the more believable."

"Cut to the chase!"

"Why do you think it was so easy for me to be caught? I could have stayed hidden under the Dark Lord's protection forever. He trusts me explicitly even though I let you and Potter slip through my fingers more times than I care to count."

"So you're saying you purposely let yourself get caught?"

"To cure the virus and regain the trust of the Order."

"But the Ministry won't let you brew the cure?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, you insolent girl! They don't trust me!"

Ginny felt her breathe hitch in her throat. She stared at him, calculating his body language for lies. She trusted him, she knew that much. He had saved her life more times than she cared to count. He has spied for years, risking his life. Then again, he'd killed people, good people who never deserved to die.

"Haven't you talked to Tonks or Kingsley? Someone in the Order and explain?"

"I haven't talked to anyone in the Order besides you."

"If I can get you what you need, you'll help them?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," he snapped.

"How do I know you're not lying? I mean, you killed Dumbledore and you've killed so many prisoners already."

"The worst thing that could happen is that I kill the prisoners faster and put them out of their misery." He paused for several seconds before turning away from her. "I killed Dumbledore because he asked me to. Not that it matters what I say at all, but that's the truth."

"He asked you?"

"I told him Draco was assigned to kill him or else his family would perish. Dumbledore told me that under no circumstance was I to allow Draco to kill him, to feel the rush of murder. He told me to do it before Draco could, so that Draco still had a chance to be a good person."

"He's been helping me because of you, right?" Ginny asked as she walked closer to him. "You're helping me so that I can help you two."

"I'm not the bad guy here," Snape whispered as he finally looked up at her. "I know I killed people with this virus, but it wasn't supposed to go this far. I needed excuses. I needed covers. Is Black dead yet?"

"No."

"Who was the last to die?"

"Uh… McLaggen this morning."

"Next will be Peasegood and then Black. Peasegood will die in the next couple of days. Black will be dead within the week. I need to start now, Weasley. It will take me a good twenty-four hours to brew this thing. If I don't start within the next six hours, I don't know if Peasegood will survive."

Ginny reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a tissue and an eyeliner pencil. She handed the material to Snape and told him to write down what he needed. The list was pretty hefty but relatively easy things to get. Once done, he handed her back the items. She dashed for the door, pounding on it only twice before it opened and Kingsley roughly pulled her out.

"Are you okay?" Tonks asked quickly.

"He'll brew the cure. It'll take him twenty-four hours and he needs these things. He said he got caught to make the cure but no one has been listening to him."

"Ginny, we don't know if we can trust him," Kingsley reasoned.

"The worst that could happen is that they die faster! Look, he said Peasegood will die within two days. After him, it's Sirius. _Sirius_! He'll be dead within the week if we don't do something!" Breathing heavily, she looked between the two Aurors. "I trust him! Even if I didn't, he's our only hope at saving these people!"

"I make no promises, Ginny, but I'll see what I can do."

"No, if they won't listen then we get him out of here."

"Break him out?" Tonks asked in a daze.

"He's one of us. I trust him. If trusting him means we save Sirius and the others, then we have to do it."

"I'll get someone higher up to talk to the Minister…" Kingsley said with a sigh.

"And if the Minister doesn't give him the change?" inquired Ginny.

"We'll take the matter to the Order and figure something out."

"It will be too late for Peasegood by then!"

"Give me twelve hours, okay?"

"A man's life is at stake… how can you take that chance?"

"We have to deal with this very delicately. If Snape's not making that cure in six hours, then we'll call the Order together. By twelve, we'll have decided what we'll do."

Author's Notes - I know it's been forever, but I've been really busy lately. However, here is the latest chapter with what I'm sure is multiple grammar mistakes because I didn't have time to go back and revise since I promised an update before May. Anyways, I have to say I'm utterly disappointed in my lack of reviews for last chapter. I need the motivation to keep going. Hundreds of you read the last chapter, and I only got four reviews. Seriously, you take the time to read a chapter than you should take the time to review. It frustrates me beyond all else when I see how many hits I have and no reviews.


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